Minnesota return man Javon Tracy has put himself in elite company, earning a spot among the five finalists for the Jet Award, which goes to the most outstanding return specialist in college football, the Jet Foundation announced.
Tracy’s numbers tell the story. He has brought back 21 punts for 347 yards and two touchdowns this season, which leaves him first in the nation in both touchdowns and total punt return scores, while ranking second in total returns.
Only Virginia Tech, with 363, has piled up more punt return yards. Tracy also leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally with a 16.52-yard average per return.
The Gophers have already seen him climb deep into the record book. Tracy is third in Minnesota single-season history in punt return yardage and is only 58 yards shy of Marion Barber III’s school record of 405, set in 2003.
His 16.5-yard average sits just 0.4 off Paul Giel’s school mark of 16.9 from 1953, and his two punt return touchdowns tie him with just two other Gophers for a season. He is also tied for 10th in program history with 21 returns this year.
What makes the run even more striking is how quickly it happened. Tracy is in his first season as a returner, yet his career punt return yardage already ranks ninth in Minnesota history. He’s also one of only five Gophers to score two punt return touchdowns in a career.
His breakout came right away in the season-opening win over Eastern Illinois. Tracy entered that game with no career punt returns and became the first Gopher ever to score two punt return touchdowns in a single game. He also set a school record with 167 punt return yards on four returns.
The other finalists are San Diego State’s Jaylon Hawkins, Florida Atlantic’s Easton Messer, James Madison’s Michael Scott and South Carolina’s Vicari Swain. They were selected by a vote of the Jet Award media panel from a group of 10 semifinalists.
The award, which honors Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers, is in its 16th year. The presentation will come at the Jet Award Gala on April 8, 2027.
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