WyoNation Offensive Player of the Year

by | Jan 9, 2020

WyoNation Offensive Player of the Year: RB Xazavian Valladay

There was really only one choice for this award with how the season played out. Due to injuries at running back and quarterback positions, there was just one constant that kept the Wyoming offense clicking just enough to win games. That constant, of course, was sophomore running back Xazavian Valladay. For a good portion of the season, Vallday was the only scholarship running back who was suiting up for the Pokes on game day. He missed one game due to injury himself but played injured for the better part of the second half of the season by necessity. Even though he wasn’t at full speed he was still very productive rushing the ball for over 1,200 yards with 6 touchdowns. After the long break between the Air Force game and the Arizona Bowl, Xazavian Valladay was able to heal up and it certainly showed. He was named the Arizona Bowl offensive MVP with over 200 yards rushing and 91 yards receiving. Without Vallday this season it’s very unlikely the Cowboys would have made a bowl game this season. Here are some of Valladay’s accomplishments this year:

  • First-Team All-Mountain West
  • Arizona Bowl Offensive MVP
  • Number 2 in the Mountain West and No. 29 in the nation in rushing
    yards per game, averaging 96.5 rushing yards.
  • Recorded the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career, with 1,265 yards
    in 12 games he has played. He has also rushed for six touchdowns.
  • Valladay was amazingly consistent in 2019, recording seven 100-yard rushing
    games.
  • His 100-yard rushing games included: 206 vs. Nevada, 154 vs. Colorado State,
    127 vs. New Mexico, 124 at Boise State, 118 vs. Missouri and 114 at Utah State.
  • Valladay’s 206 rushing yards against Nevada was the most by a Mountain
    West Conference player against a MW conference opponent this season. He
    was named MW Player of the Week after that game.
  • His 37 carries against Boise State was the season-high by any Mountain West
    player this season, and tied a Wyoming single-game school record.

The results of the vote were as follows:

  1. RB Xazavian Valladay
  2. QB Sean Chambers
  3. OL Keegan Cryder