Hollins, Fields selected as Comeback Player of the Year semifinalists

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Wide receiver Malachi Fields and running back Mike Hollins were two of the 15 semifinalists named for the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award announced on Thursday by the College Sports Communicators, Associated Press and the Fiesta Bowl Organization.

The award has recognizes college football student-athletes from all divisions of college football for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

2023 COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS
Blake Corum (Senior, RB, Michigan)
Jacob Dobbs (Senior, LB, Holy Cross)
CJ Donaldson (Sophomore, RB, West Virginia)
Justin Eboigbe (Senior, DL, Alabama)
Davon Ferguson (Senior, CB, Bowling Green)
Thomas Fidone II (Sophomore, TE, Nebraska)
Malachi Fields (Junior, WR, Virginia)
Myles Harden (Junior, CB, South Dakota)
Daniel Hishaw Jr. (Sophomore, RB, Kansas)
Mike Hollins (Senior, RB, Virginia)
Brett Johnson (DL, University of California Berkeley)
Devin Leary (Senior, QB, Kentucky)
Christian Mahogany (Senior, OL, Boston College)
Malik Robinson (Senior, LB, Houston)
Mohamed Toure (Senior, LB, Rutgers)

Fields’ 2022 season was cut short after a broken foot in the season opener sidelined him for the entire year. The junior wide receiver came back and was an All-ACC honorable mention in 2023. He ranked in the top-10 in the ACC in receiving yards (4th – 811), receiving yards per game (5th – 67.6), receptions (6th – 58) and receptions per game (7th – 4.83). Fields had 60 or more receiving yards in 11 of UVA’s 12 games this season.

In November 2022, Hollins was shot and wounded in the shooting that killed three of his teammates. He underwent multiple surgeries and was in critical condition. He recovered from the bullet wounds in time to play in the 2023 Spring Game and appeared in 11 of UVA’s 12 games this season. He rushed for 274 yards on 80 carries and was responsible for eight touchdowns (7 rush, 1 rec.), the 15th most in the league. He was named the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award as the league’s most courageous player this season.