BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic may not have a full-time head coach, but it has the best tight end in college football.
Harrison Bryant has been named the winner of the John Mackey Award, presented to the nation's top tight end.
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The trophy will be presented to Bryant during Wednesday night's college football awards show on ESPNU.
Bryant's 65 receptions for 1,004 yards are the most of any tight end in the country.
The senior from Georgia has amassed 2,137 yards and 16 touchdowns in his college career and has gotten better each year, increasing his total receptions and yardage in each of his four seasons with the Owls.
After being held out of the end zone through the first seven games of the season, Bryant has caught at least one touchdown in five of FAU's last six games, including three in the final regular-season game against Southern Mississippi. He also hauled in a score in FAU's 49-6 win against UAB in the Conference USA Championship game.
Bryant becomes the first Mackey Award winner in FAU's history. He beat out Miami sophomore Brevin Jordan and Washington junior Hunter Bryant for the award.
The Owls (10-3) will stay home to face SMU (10-2) in the Boca Raton Bowl. The game will be played Dec. 21 at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on Local 10.
FAU head coach Lane Kiffin left to take the Ole Miss job and won’t coach the Owls in the bowl game.