(STILLWATER, Oklahoma / January 25, 2019) – Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard is one of five national finalists for the 2018-19 Cornish Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top Canadian student-athlete in NCAA football.

A native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, Hubbard had a breakout season in 2018 that saw him score nine total touchdowns to mark the most for an Oklahoma State freshman since Donovan Woods had 10 in 2004.

Hubbard took over as OSU’s primary running back during the Bedlam game and responded with 22 carries for 104 yards and three touchdowns against the sixth-ranked Sooners. He followed that showing with a 26-carry, 134-yard performance to help lead OSU to a win over No. 7 West Virginia the following week. Hubbard added a third 100-yard game in OSU’s win over Missouri in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl with a career-best 145 rushing yards on 18 carries.

The redshirt freshman finished the season with 124 rushes for 740 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns, while adding 22 receptions for 229 yards and two touchdowns. He also served as OSU’s primary kickoff returner and averaged 22.2 yards on 23 kickoff returns. His 42-yard return against Missouri State was the longest for a Cowboy since the 2016 season.

Other finalists for the Cornish Trophy, which is named for former CFL and Kansas running back Jon Cornish, are Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool (Abbotsford, BC), North Dakota’s Brady Oliveira (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Oklahoma’s Neville Gallimore (Ottawa, Ontario) and last year’s winner, Ohio’s Nathan Rourke (Oakville, Ontario).

The voting committee for the honor is comprised of former NCAA players with a connection to Canada, player personnel representatives from teams in the CFL and members of the media who cover college football in Canada or who are based in Canada. The evaluation is based solely on performance during the 2018 season, which included a total of 139 Canadian football players on FBS, FCS, NAIA and junior college rosters.

The trophy will be presented to the winner at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in Hamilton, Ontario, in March, and the trophy will be placed on permanent display at the Hall.

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