If anyone was questioning what happened to Jaylond Adams or is he still on the team, well here is a confirmation from Southern Miss.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Louisville Sports Commission today named 50 multi-talented college football players to the 2020 Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award presented by
Texas Roadhouse, including Southern Miss redshirt junior Jaylond Adams.
Adams, a wide receiver/kick and punt returner, earned PFF second-team All-America honors at returner last season on the strength of two kickoff returns and one punt return for a touchdown during the year.
The Adamsville, Ala., native opened the 2019 campaign by returning a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and then later scored on an 80-yard punt return versus Alcorn State en route to being named the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week.
His kickoff return for a score was the first for a Golden Eagle since the 2015 season and his punt return for a TD was the first since the opening game the previous season.
Adams became the first Southern Miss player to have a touchdown on both a kickoff and punt return in the same season since 2009 and marked the first time a Golden Eagle recorded two special team return touchdowns in the same game since James Henry accomplished that feat against UTEP in the 1988 Independence Bowl. Adams also holds the distinction of being the only Southern Miss player to return a kickoff and a punt for a score in the same game.
The second kickoff return for a touchdown came two weeks later when Adams returned one for 100 yards at Troy, tying both the school’s season and career record for kickoff touchdown returns (two). He also collected 11 catches for 180 yards in that contest, finishing with 322 all-purpose yards – the second most ever in a game by a Golden Eagle.
In addition, Adams ranked third on the team in catches with 48 for 483 yards and two touchdowns.
Adams missed the final four games with injury after earning midseason All-America honors by The Athletic (2nd team returner), Sporting News (returner) and ESPN (kick returner).
The Paul Hornung Award, now in its 11th season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung. The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville on March 2021.
More information about the Award can be found at
www.paulhornungaward.com.