FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – East Carolina junior quarterback Holton Ahlers has been named to the 2021 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List according to an announcement by the organization Thursday.

A 2021 Preseason All-American Athletic Conference selection by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Magazine, Ahlers has already surpassed the 7,000-yard aerial mark in 30 career contests. In three seasons with the Pirates, he has completed 556-of-974 passes for 7,093 yards and 51 touchdowns while only suffering 22 interceptions. Ahlers owns one 500-yard, four 400-yard and 10 300-yard passing outings and has thrown at least one scoring pass in 21 of 30 games. He currently ranks fourth on ECU’s career total yards (8,153) list, sixth on passing and seventh on completion.

Last year, Ahlers threw for 1,921 yards (165-of-269) and 18 touchdowns with only nine interceptions. On the national (FBS) level, he ranked 25th in passing TDs, 26th in completions per game (20.6) and 30th in passing yards per game (240.1). A dual-threat quarterback, he rushed for 109 yards on 54 carries with one score. He stands fifth all-time in ECU quarterback rushing yards, just 426 shy of surpassing Leander Green’s current school-record of 1,485. He has accounted for 64 career touchdowns (51 passing, 13 rushing), and of his 51 aerial scores, 47 have come in league play.

In the classroom, Ahlers is a six-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll and three-time AAC All-Academic selection majoring in communications. He has also volunteered his time in the community working with programs such as Aces for Autism, Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina, James & Connie Maynard Children's Hospital/Vidant Medical Center, Pirate Armada, Pitt County Trash Pick-up, Ronald McDonald House and the Special Olympics.

The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," is presented each February in Fort Walton Beach. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Florida, Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world.

Voting for the Wuerffel Trophy is performed by a national selection committee that includes college football television and print media, industry notables, former head coaches and prior Wuerffel Trophy recipients. The formal announcement of the 2021 recipient will be made at the National Football Foundation's press conference in New York City on Dec 7. The presentation of the 2021 Wuerffel Trophy will occur in February 2022.

Tyler Snead on Paul Hornung Watch List

East Carolina sophomore wide receiver and return specialist Tyler Snead is one of 57 players named to the 2021 Paul Hornung Award Watch List, according to an announcement by the Louisville Sports Commission Thursday.

ECU’s only two-time preseason selection, Snead is the fifth Pirate since the award’s inception in 2010 to earn inclusion on the watch list following Dwayne Harris (2010), Justin Hardy (2014), Zay Jones (2015) and Quay Johnson (2016).

Snead, who earned Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference honors as a receiver and return specialist in 2020, led the team in receptions (53), punt returns and yards (12 for 144), kickoff returns and yards (18 for 409) and all-purpose yards 1,145. He reached the endzone seven times and threw for a score in the season finale against SMU.

The Raleigh, N.C. native authored a pair of 100-yard receiving games (105/Georgia State, 108/Tulsa) and topped 100-plus all-purpose yards four times, including 231 at Georgia State and 244 at Temple. Snead's lone special teams touchdown came during the second quarter against the Owls when he returned his second career kickoff 95 yards, earning him AAC Special Teams Player-of-the-Week accolades.

A 2021 Preseason All-America pick (fourth-team) by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview Magazine and an All-AAC selection by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele, Snead has caught 134 career passes for 1,519 yards (11.3 ypc) with 14 touchdowns. He has added 95 yards on the ground with one score and has a combined 1,069 return yards with a pair of kickoff return touchdowns in 25 career games (19 starts).

The Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse, now in its 12th season, is presented annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission. The LSC created the PHA to recognize the distinctive talents of student-athletes and help preserve the legacy of Paul Hornung – a man many consider the most versatile player in the history of college and professional football. Each year, the winner and his family are honored at a banquet presented by UofL at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville, Ky.

The 2021 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on a combination of 2020 statistics, career performance, sports information director recommendations and expectations heading into the 2021 season. Players may be added to the watch list during the regular season based on performance.