USC’s Anthony Beavers Jr. Named to Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award Watch List

LOS ANGELES, CA — USC linebacker Anthony Beavers Jr. has been named to the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award Watch List, announced Monday (Sept. 30). The honor, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first major college football award to focus primarily on a player’s leadership both on and off the field.

A redshirt senior from South Central Los Angeles, Beavers has made his mark far beyond the gridiron. Over the summer, he organized a philanthropic event on USC’s campus, bringing in 75 children from LA’s BEST, an after-school enrichment program that Beavers himself grew up in. For many of the kids, it was their first chance to step foot on a college campus and meet student-athletes, an experience Beavers hopes will inspire them to pursue higher education.

His community service extends well beyond that day. When wildfires tore through Los Angeles in January, Beavers worked at a fire relief event with USC’s House of Victory collective, helping intake, organize, and distribute donations. He’s volunteered at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, served meals at the Dream Center in Echo Park, and gives back by coaching youth football.

Academically, Beavers has already earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in occupational science, a graduate certificate in gerontology, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the same field. He also serves as Co-President of USC’s United Black Student-Athletes Association, advocating for the empowerment and support of Black student-athletes on campus. This past May, he spoke as a panelist at the Black Student Athlete Summit in Chicago, sharing the importance of community and support systems during a college career.

Beavers has broadened his leadership on a global level as well, twice joining the USC Shoah Foundation Witness for the Future Student Leadership program. He has recruited teammates to travel to Washington, D.C., Poland, and Germany to learn about racism and antisemitism, visiting historic sites like Auschwitz while building leadership skills. His first trip was even featured on Big Noon Kickoff.

On the field, Beavers enters his fifth year at USC having played in 38 games with six starts, collecting 49 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He’ll look to play an even bigger role in the Trojans’ defense this fall.

The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalists will be announced Oct. 14, followed by three finalists on Dec. 15. The winner will be honored April 16, 2026, at The Star in Frisco, Texas, and will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to USC’s athletic scholarship fund, courtesy of the Jason Witten SCORE Foundation.