The 13th Jet Award Banquet was held at Baxter Arena in Omaha on April 4, drawing over 800 attendees. The event celebrates exceptional kickoff and punt return specialists and featured keynote speaker Danny Woodhead, with Larry the Cable Guy providing entertainment. USC freshman Zachariah Branch won this year's award, and the legacy award went to former Nebraska cornerback DeJuan Groce.

Since its inception in 2011, the Jet Award has been presented to college football's premier return specialist each season. Named in tribute to Johnny "the Jet" Rodgers, the 1972 Heisman Trophy winner, the award celebrates outstanding performance in return play.

Notable attendees included former athletes Rick Upchurch, Gregg Pruitt, and others. The banquet benefits the Metropolitan Community College in Omaha through the Johnny Rodgers Foundation, raising over $100,000 for scholarships in trades and career programs for students with an average GPA of 3.0.