By james art 
On Tuesday, South Carolina senior long shooter Hunter Rogers was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy. The award is given annually to the most outstanding player who began his career as a rookie. The player may be currently active or have earned a scholarship.
Rodgers is in his fourth year starting for the Gamecocks and is a two-time All-SEC performer.
From the South Carolina Athletics press release:
University of South Carolina redshirt senior shooting guard Hunter Rogers is one of 78 players nominated by Division 1 (FBS) schools across the country for the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy, it was announced today.
Rodgers, a 6-1, 206-pound commit from Columbia, committed to the Carolina football program in 2020. After redshirting his first season, Rodgers took over the long snapping duties midway through the 2021 season. He handled both the short and long duties over the past three seasons. He was named second-team All-SEC in 2022 and earned first-team honors in 2023. Rogers is also a two-time member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and graduated with a degree in sports and entertainment management.
In the 15th year of the award, the trophy is named for Brandon Burlsworth, a former University of Arkansas commit and All-American offensive lineman. Burlworth’s life is also the subject of a major motion picture, ‘GREATER’, which was released in 2016.
The Burlsworth Cup is given to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a Walk-On and has shown outstanding performance on the field. Each nominee must have entered their first season of participation as an FBS (D1) football program without any financial assistance from their university’s athletic department.
“The walk-on athlete is an integral part of college football, it’s in the very fabric of the game,” said Marty Burlsworth, president and CEO of the Burlsworth Trophy and older brother of Brandon Burlsworth. “All of these nominees have embraced this opportunity and made the most of it. It’s certainly not an easy road, but through hard work and determination, they’ve made their dreams come true.”
Without a single D1 scholarship offer, Brandon Burlsworth went on to attend the University of Arkansas in 1994. He became a three-year starter and was eventually named an All-American in 1998. Burlsworth was selected with the 63rd overall pick by Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL Draft, but died tragically in a car accident 11 days later. The Burlsworth Foundation was established in his memory and supports the physical and spiritual needs of children, especially children with disabilities.
The Burlsworth Trophy Awards Show to honor the three finalists and announce the 2024 winner will be December 9 at 7:00 pm CST at the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.