Florida State redshirt sophomore quarterback Deondre Francois and redshirt sophomore defensive back Derwin James have been named to the 81st annual Maxwell Award Watch List, which was released on Monday.

Each year the Maxwell Football Club presents the Maxwell Award for the College Player of the Year. The Maxwell Award, named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell, has been given to America's College Player of the Year since 1937. Maxwell's contributions to the game of football were extensive, including time as a player, a sportswriter and an official.

James was selected as the top player in college football by Sports Illustrated in 2017 and is expected to make a big return to the gridiron after missing most of 2016 due to injury.

In 2015, the versatile James appeared in all 13 games and registered 91 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries as a rookie. The Haines City, Fla., native earned All-ACC Third Team honors and was named a Freshman All-American by Sporting News, USA Today, and CampusInsider.com. He led the team in tackles five times in 2015, including a career-high 14 against Houston in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.

Francois earns his first career nod to a national award list after winning the ACC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2016. He led all freshman signal callers with 3,350 yards passing, which also was the fifth-best performance in FSU history. He threw 20 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson won the award after the 2016 season.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced October 30, 2017, while the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 20, 2017. The winner of the 2017 Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 7, 2017. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 9, 2018.

Voters for the Maxwell College Awards are NCAA Head College Football Coaches, members of the Maxwell Football Club & sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country.

The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 23 awards boast over 745 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.

The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Seventeen of the association's 23 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates.