Georgia State tight end Joel Ruiz was named to the 2014 John Mackey Award midseason watch list on Monday. The award is given annually to the best tight end in college. The winner will be announced on Dec. 10.

Ruiz is second in the nation among tight ends with 66.2 receiving yards per game and third in receptions (4.8 per game).

Ruiz, a junior, is the team’s fourth-leading receiver with 24 catches.

Ruiz is the first Georgia State player to be recognized on a watch list for one of the major FBS awards.

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Kirby Smart (left) and Georgia beat Brent Key and Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last November in Athens. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets bring Clean Old-Fashioned Hate off campus for 2025, playing at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2024)

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Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

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