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Pancol a Semifinalist for Comeback Player of the Year Award
12/3/2024 3:05:00 PM | Football
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Duke graduate student wide receiver Eli Pancol was named a semifinalist for the Comeback Player of the Year Award, the College Sports Communicators (CSC), in association with The Associated Press and the Fiesta Bowl, announced Tuesday afternoon.
Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances.
On Monday, Pancol was announced as the recipient of the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award, presented annually to the "most courageous" football player in the league. Â
Pancol, a native of Pendleton, Ind., suffered a broken left ankle in October of 2022, which prevented him from finishing the season. Following that recovery, during the 2023 training camp, he experienced a fracture dislocation of his right ankle, which caused him to miss the entire season.Â
In 56 career games, 26 starts, he has compiled 125 receptions for 1,653 yards (13.22) and 14 touchdowns with seven rushes for 40 yards (5.71) and two scores. Additionally, he has two-plus receptions in 34 games and 20-plus receiving yards in 31 contests. He has caught at least one pass in 27 consecutive games played, dating back to the 2021 campaign.
This season, Pancol started all 12 regular season games and caught 55 passes for 741 yards (61.75) with a single-season high nine touchdowns. His nine receiving scores lead the Blue Devils, rank tied for fourth in the ACC and are tied for the sixth most in a year in Duke history. He is the first Blue Devil to have nine or more TD catches in a season since Eron Riley's nine in 2007.Â
Pancol was named the November 25 ACC Receiver of the Week after recording five catches for 188 yards and three touchdowns against Virginia Tech. He finished an outstanding first quarter with three receptions for 175 yards and two scores. Pancol's first quarter allowed him to join Utah State's Jalen Royals as the only FBS players this season with 175 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a single quarter. During the contest Pancol also became the ninth Blue Devil with three or more TD grabs in a single game. In October versus No. 22 SMU, Pancol set a career high with 11 receptions.Â
2024 Comeback Player of the Year Semifinalists
Jalon Daniels, QB, Kansas
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Syracuse
Blake Horvath, QB, Navy
Ike Larsen, DB, Utah State
Trey Lathan, LB, West Virginia
Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame
Bru McCoy, WR, Tennessee
Eli Pancol, WR, Duke
Tyreem Powell, LB, Rutgers
Lathan Ransom, DB, Ohio State
Raheim Sanders, RB, South Carolina
Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville
For more information on Duke Football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeFOOTBALL".
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