Claiborne Named to Maxwell Award Watch List
7/28/2025 12:00:00 PM | Football
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest senior All-American running back Demond Claiborne was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club Monday afternoon.
Claiborne, who was also named a preseason All-American by Phil Steele heading into 2025, is coming off a historic season in 2024 with 228 carries for 1,049 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, becoming the first Demon Deacon to rush for over 1,000 yards since Cade Carney in 2018.
Additionally, he caught 23 passes for 254 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. Finally, he returned 11 kickoffs for 277 yards (25.1 average) and had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Miami in Week 13.
Claiborne's 1,579 all-purpose yards in 2024 ranked seventh in program history and his all-purpose yards per game of 131.6 ranked 11th nationally.
More on Claiborne:
Demond Claiborne | RB | SR
Claiborne, who was also named a preseason All-American by Phil Steele heading into 2025, is coming off a historic season in 2024 with 228 carries for 1,049 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, becoming the first Demon Deacon to rush for over 1,000 yards since Cade Carney in 2018.
Additionally, he caught 23 passes for 254 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. Finally, he returned 11 kickoffs for 277 yards (25.1 average) and had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Miami in Week 13.
Claiborne's 1,579 all-purpose yards in 2024 ranked seventh in program history and his all-purpose yards per game of 131.6 ranked 11th nationally.
More on Claiborne:
Demond Claiborne | RB | SR
- Named a 2024 Phil Steele All-American and 2025 Preseason Phil Steele All-American.
- Earned multiple All-ACC honors including to the official All-ACC team as voted on by media and coaches.
- Capped off a historic season in 2024 with 228 carries for 1,049 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
- Additionally, he caught 23 passes for 254 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. Finally, he returned 11 kickoffs for 277 yards (25.1 average) and had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Miami in Week 13.
- Became the second Demon Deacon to ever log 1,000 rushing yards and 250 receiving yards in a season.
- Was the first Wake Forest running back to total 1,000 yards on the ground since Cade Carney accomplished this feat in 2018.
- Tallied 11 scoring runs which was tied with quarterback Sam Hartman's tally (11) which ranks second in program history.
- Claiborne's 100-yard return against Miami is tied for the longest play in program history, matching Alphonso Smith's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Maryland in 2007.
- The kickoff return for a touchdown marked the second of his career and he became the second Demon Deacon in program history to record multiple in his career (John Stone, 3 kickoff return touchdowns).
- Claiborne's 1,579 all-purpose yards this season ranks seventh in program history and his all-purpose yards per game of 131.6 ranked 11th nationally:
| Rank | Rush | Rec | PR | KR | Total APR |
| 1. Kenneth Moore (2007) | 316 | 1,011 | 355 | 172 | 1,854 |
| 2. Greg Dortch (2018) | 20 | 1,078 | 276 | 376 | 1,750 |
| 3. Fabien Davis (2002) | 446 | 575 | 363 | 363 | 1,747 |
| 4. John Zeglinski (1975) | 591 | 354 | 243 | 542 | 1,730 |
| 5. John Leach (1993) | 1,089 | 340 | 0 | 253 | 1,691 |
| 6. Anthony Williams (1990) | 866 | 0 | 0 | 740 | 1,606 |
| 7. Demond Claiborne (2024) | 1,048 | 254 | 0 | 277 | 1,530 |
| 8. Chris Barclay (2005) | 1,127 | 159 | 0 | 222 | 1,508 |
| 9. Bill Barnes (1956) | 1,010 | 41 | 0 | 440 | 1,491 |
| 10. Mark Young (1988) | 711 | 245 | 0 | 488 | 1,444 |
Players Mentioned
RB
/ FootballFootball Media Availability (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18
QB Robbie Ashford takes it himself for the score
Thursday, September 11
Chris Barnes scores the TD on the game's first kick
Thursday, September 11
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10