Ole Miss Football’s Diego Pounds Named to Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

ATLANTA – (Release) Ole Miss football senior offensive tackle Diego Pounds has been named to the preseason watch list for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, as announced by the Wuerffel Foundation on Thursday.

Pounds is among a record 116 FBS nominees for the Wuerffel Trophy, college football’s premier award for community service that celebrates student-athletes who use their platforms to serve others and create positive change. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winner and University of Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who turned his football success into a lifelong mission of service, the award reflects his legacy of leadership and humanitarianism. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the trophy’s founding.

Pounds – a native of Raleigh, North Carolina – enters his second season with the Rebels after transferring to Ole Miss from North Carolina prior to the 2024 season. In Oxford last fall, Pounds was a mainstay on the offensive line for the Rebels, playing in all 13 games and starting nine at left tackle for the most prolific offense in Ole Miss history in terms of total offense (6,845), yards per play (7.3), passing yards (4,561) and passing yards per game (350.8).

Prior to Ole Miss, Pounds played 18 games in two seasons with the Tar Heels across 2022 and 2023, including eight starts as a sophomore.

For the second consecutive year, the Wuerffel Foundation is partnering with Allstate to unite college football’s top community service honors through the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Eleven student-athletes from the Watch List will be named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and serve as semifinalists for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.

The 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy finalists and recipient will be selected by a national voting committee, with input from a fan vote. The 2025 recipient will also serve as Captain of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and will be announced live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 12th. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Presentation Gala will follow on Jan. 31, 2026, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.

Fri., Aug. 1: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award

Mon., Aug. 4: Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 5: Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 6: Biletnikoff Award

Thu., Aug. 7: Davey O’Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 8: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy

Mon., Aug. 11: Bednarik Award