Rutgers’ Samuel Raymond Wins 2025 Jon Cornish Trophy, Capping Breakout Season
In a season that saw him bulldoze through defensive lines and rewrite parts of the Rutgers record book, running back Samuel Raymond has earned one of the highest honors for a Canadian in college football. The Montréal native was named the 2025 Jon Cornish Trophy winner on Wednesday, recognizing him as the most outstanding Canadian player in NCAA football.
Raymond becomes the first player from Québec to claim the award, and he did it in style-with a season that was as consistent as it was explosive.
Let’s break it down: 244 carries, 1,241 rushing yards, and 15 total touchdowns. That’s not just production-it’s dominance.
His rushing total ranked third in the Big Ten and 12th nationally, putting him in elite company. And in the long history of Rutgers football, only seven players have ever rushed for more yards in a single season.
But it wasn’t just the numbers-it was when and how he delivered. Take his performance against Maryland.
Raymond carried the ball a school-record-tying 41 times for a staggering 240 yards, including 105 in the fourth quarter alone. That late-game surge sealed the win and earned him Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week honors.
It was the kind of game that sticks with you-not just for the stat line, but for the way he took over when it mattered most.
Raymond found the end zone in 10 different games this season, finishing third in the Big Ten in total touchdowns. He also ranked second in the conference with 122.2 all-purpose yards per game and sixth nationally in total carries. That kind of workload speaks to both his talent and his toughness-he wasn’t just a playmaker, he was a workhorse.
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Raymond earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors from both the media and coaches, a nod to his impact on the field. Off the field, he was named Academic All-Big Ten, showing the same discipline in the classroom that he brings to the field.
The Jon Cornish Trophy, named after Canadian Football Hall of Famer Jon Cornish, has been awarded annually since 2017 to spotlight Canadian excellence in NCAA football. Backed by NFL Canada and Krown Produce, the award is voted on by a panel of Canadian football media, scouts, and evaluators. Raymond joins a growing list of Canadians making their mark south of the border-he’s one of five Canadians on the Rutgers roster and one of 274 playing college football in the U.S.
For Raymond, this award is more than just a personal accolade-it’s a milestone for Québec football and a statement about the growing pipeline of Canadian talent in the NCAA. And if this season is any indication, it’s just the beginning.