CLARKSDALE (AP) — Ole Miss had a down year, but it did manage to claim Mississippi’s top individual college football award.

Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram won the Conerly Trophy on Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound senior joins a group of winners that include current and former NFL stars like Dak Prescott, Eli Manning, Patrick Willis and Deuce McAllister. The Conerly, which is sponsored by C Spire Wireless, has been given annually to Mississippi’s top college football player since 1996.

“Just to be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys is amazing,” said Engram, who was presented the Conerly at Clarksdale Country Club. “For a Georgia guy to come over here to Mississippi and have this kind of success, I’m very blessed.”

Engram, from Powder Springs, Georgia, is the first tight end to win the award. He caught 65 passes this season and is second in the Southeastern Conference with 926 receiving yards. He has eight touchdown receptions.

The award caps a stellar college career. Engram is the Ole Miss season and career leader for a tight end in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns. He is also the nation’s active leader among tight ends with 2,320 receiving yards in his career.

Engram is a finalist for the Mackey Award, given to the top tight end in the country.

“I definitely bring a different kind of skill set as far as a tight end,” Engram said. “My coaches have done a great job of finding mismatches, creating problems for the defense and finding ways to get me involved.”

Engram beat out nine other finalists, including Mississippi State receiver Fred Ross, Southern Miss running back Ito Smith and Jackson State defensive lineman Javancy Jones.

Ross caught an SEC-leading 12 touchdowns. Smith led the Golden Eagles with 1,321 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Jones led Jackson State with 82 tackles, including 19½ for a loss.

Prescott won the Conerly Trophy the previous two seasons.

An Ole Miss player won the Conerly Trophy for the seventh time, but it’s the school’s first since quarterback Bo Wallace won it in 2012.

C-Spire Conerly Trophy winners
2016 – Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss
2015 – Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
2014 – Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
2013 – Gabe Jackson, OL, Mississippi State
2012 – Bo Wallace, QB, Ole Miss
2011 – Austin Davis, QB, Southern Miss
2010 – Chris White, LB, Mississippi State
2009 – Anthony Dixon, RB, Mississippi State
2008 – Juan Joseph, QB, Millsaps
2007 – Damion Fletcher, RB, Southern Miss
2006 – Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss
2005 – Jerious Norwood, RB, Mississippi State
2004 – Michael Boley, LB, Southern Miss
2003 – Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss
2002 – Rod Davis, LB, Southern Miss
2001 – Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss
2000 – Josh Bright, QB, Delta State
1999 – Deuce McAllister, RB, Ole Miss
1998 – J.J. Johnson, RB, Mississippi State
1997 – Stewart Patridge, QB, Ole Miss
1996 – Tregnel Thomas, RB, Delta State