BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football quarterback Maverick McIvor has been named to the 2025 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List, the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and SPORTyler announced Wednesday.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award honors the legacy of Texas legend Earl Campbell and his home community of Tyler, Texas. The award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: played football and graduated from a Texas High School, or currently be playing at a Texas Division I college.
McIvor, who hails from San Angelo, Texas, and prepped at Central High School, has already been included on the 2026 Senior Bowl Top 300 Watch List, the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List, and the 2025 Conference USA Preseason Watch List.
McIvor highlights a large group of newcomers to the WKU Football program this offseason. The quarterback transferred to WKU after spending three seasons at Abilene Christian, where he was one of the top players at the FCS level. Over three seasons with the Wildcats, he threw for 8,012 yards and 63 touchdowns on 655-of-1089 passing with 21 interceptions.
During his final season at Abilene Christian in 2024, the native of San Angelo, Texas, threw for 3,828 yards and 30 touchdowns to seven interceptions on 312-of-499 passing – an average of 294.5 yards through the air per game – while leading his team to the United Athletic Conference title and berth in the FCS Playoffs, where the Wildcats beat Northern Arizona in their first game. He was named a Second Team All-American by FCS Football Central, and was an All-UAC First Team selection at quarterback. McIvor ranked fourth in FCS in total passing yards, fifth in passing yards per game, eighth in total offense, sixth in passing touchdowns, ninth in points responsible for, fourth in total completions and seventh in completions per game.
In 2023, he posted 17 touchdowns and 1,972 yards with just five interceptions, and in his first year with the program, McIvor had 2,212 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 60% of his passes.
He arrived at Abilene Christian after three seasons at Texas Tech, where he did not see any game action.
Former Hilltopper quarterback Bailey Zappe – a Victoria, Texas, native – won the 2021 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award after setting NCAA single-season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns.
WKU is scheduled to open the 2025 season with a Week 0 CUSA game against Sam Houston on Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
For all the latest on WKU Football, follow @WKUFootball on Twitter and Instagram, and like the WKU Football Facebook page.
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