COLUMBUS, Ga. – Auburn’s Jackson Koivun and Brendan Valdes were named to the Fred Haskins Award Fall Watch List ahead of the start of the 2024-25 season, the Haskins Foundation announced Wednesday.
The 25-man watch list is composed of returning players who made waves in the collegiate scene last season. Auburn is one of six schools with multiple representatives on the list. Koivun and Valdes account for two of 10 players from the Southeastern Conference.
Koivun, the reigning Haskins Award winner, led the Tigers in their historic national title run last season with 12 top-10 finishes, 28 rounds below par, two tournament wins and slew of individual honors and awards.
As a rookie, Koivun became the first player in the history of the sport to capture the Haskins, Hogan, Nicklaus and Mickelson awards in the same season. He also joined Justin Thomas and Robby Shelton as the third man to earn SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Player of the Year at the same time.
Koivun joined Valdes in Ireland last July as the duo represented the United States at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup, leading the Americans to their first victory on European soil since 2018.
Valdes, another First Team All-SEC and First Team All-American, also put up jaw-dropping numbers last season as he recorded nine top-10 finishes, 24 rounds below par and one win.
Both men return for the 2024-25 season next week, Sept. 9-10, at the Inverness Intercollegiate in Toledo, Ohio.