5. Caylin Newton, Howard (2017-18)
Newton only played two full seasons at Howard, and to be honest, it was a mixed bag. The team finished with a losing record over that period, and Newton threw 32 interceptions in 25 career games while completing 51 percent of his passes.
But Newton was the conference’s Rookie of The Year in 2017 and the Offensive Player of The Year in 2018. His 41 passing touchdowns rank him 15th overall in conference history in less than 2.5 seasons. He also ran for 17 touchdowns, including 12 as a freshman when he ran for 753 of his 1,318 career rushing yards.
Newton will be remembered for leading Howard to the biggest upset in college football in his first collegiate game. Who knows how things would have turned out if Mike London and his staff would have stuck around for another two years? That will remain one of the big “IFs” in HBCU football history for now.
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