Four Tigers named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List |
DALLAS (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America released its 2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List today, selecting 97 defensive standouts from 61 schools in all 10 Division I FBS conferences on a roster that includes three returning players from last season's FWAA All-America team.
Ed Oliver, a junior tackle from the University of Houston and a Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist a year ago, joins senior Clemson end Austin Bryant and junior end Sutton Smith of Northern Illinois as returning selections from the 2017 FWAA All-America first team. Oliver, the 2017 Outland Trophy winner as the nation's best interior lineman, is a two-time FWAA All-American after earning second-team mention in 2016. This year's watch list for the nation's top defensive player also includes LSU linebacker Devin White and Clemson end Clelin Ferrell, both second-team FWAA All-America selections a year ago, as well as Clemson tackle Christian Wilkins, a 2016 FWAA All-America first team member. Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week's honored player will be added at that time. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 14. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football. This year's watch list includes at least four players from each of the 10 FBS conferences. The SEC (16) leads the 97-member list with the Big Ten (15) right behind. The ACC (13) and Pac-12 (12) also have double-digit representation, followed by the Big 12 (9), American Athletic and Mountain West (7), Conference USA and Independents (5), and the Mid-American and Sun Belt (4). The list includes 27 backs, 26 linebackers, 24 ends and 20 tackles. 2018 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (97) LB Dakota Allen, Texas Tech DE Zach Allen, Boston College LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Florida Atlantic DB Dravon Askew-Henry, West Virginia LB Joe Bachie, Michigan State DE Ben Banogu, TCU DT Terry Beckner Jr., Missouri DT Ryan Bee, Marshall DB Julian Blackmon, Utah DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State DB Kris Boyd, Texas DT Derrick Brown, Auburn DB Blace Brown, Troy DE Austin Bryant, Clemson LB Ben Burr-Kirven, Washington LB Devin Bush, Michigan DB T.J. Carter, Memphis DB Justin Clifton, Arkansas State LB Te'von Coney, Notre Dame DT Marquise Copeland, Cincinnati DE Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan DE Marlon Davidson, Auburn DE Raekwon Davis, Alabama DB Lukas Denis, Boston College DB D’Cota Dixon, Wisconsin LB Tyrel Dodson, Texas A&M DE Landis Durham, Texas A&M LB Troy Dye, Oregon LB Cooper Edmiston, Tulsa DB Mike Edwards, Kentucky LB T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin DE Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech DE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson LB Paddy Fisher, Northwestern DT Greg Gaines, Washington DE Rashan Gary, Michigan DE Joe Gaziano, Northwestern DT Youhanna Ghaifan, Wyoming DB Kyle Gibson, UCF DB Mark Gilbert, Duke LB Ulysees Gilbert III, Akron LB Joe Giles-Harris, Duke DE Carl Granderson, Wyoming LB Terez Hall, Missouri LB De’Jon Harris, Arkansas DB Tae Hayes, Appalachian State DB Lavert Hill, Michigan DT Trysten Hill, UCF LB Khalil Hodge, Buffalo DB Tyler Horton, Boise State LB Khaleke Hudson, Michigan DB Michael Jackson, Miami DE Cece Jefferson, Florida DE Jalen Jelks, Oregon DB Jaquan Johnson, Miami DT Dre'Mont Jones, Ohio State DE Corbin Kaufusi, BYU LB Jordan Kunaszyk, California DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson DE Jonathan Ledbetter, Georgia DT Ira Lewis, Baylor DB Shelton Lewis, Florida Atlantic DT Ray Lima, Iowa State LB David Long Jr., West Virginia DB Julian Love, Notre Dame DB Chase Lucas, Arizona State DT David Moa, Boise State LB James Nachtigal, Army West Point DE Anthony Nelson, Iowa DT Ed Oliver, Houston DB Amani Oruwariye, Penn State LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami DB Delvon Randall, Temple DB Taylor Rapp, Washington DE Christian Rector, USC LB Malik Reed, Nevada LB David Reese, Florida DE Hunter Reese, Troy DT Olive Sagapolu, Wisconsin DT Jordon Scott, Oregon DB Duke Shelley, Kansas State DT Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State LB Cameron Smith, USC DE Sutton Smith, NIU DE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State LB Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii DB Marvell Tell III, USC DB Juan Thornhill, Virginia DT Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame DT Ricky Walker, Virginia Tech LB Devin White, LSU DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson DB Greedy Williams, LSU DB Andrew Wingard, Wyoming DE Chase Winovich, Michigan DT Daniel Wise, Kansas DE Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion By conference: SEC 16, Big Ten 15, ACC 13, Pac-12 12, Big 12 9, American Athletic 7, Mountain West 7, Conference USA 5, Independents 5, Mid-American 4, Sun Belt 4. By position: Backs 27, Linebackers 26, Ends 24, Tackles 20. Players may be added or removed from the list before or during the season The annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy Banquet, presented by ACN, will be held on Dec. 3 at the Charlotte Convention Center. In addition to the 2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner's announcement, the banquet will also celebrate the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award. Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau, a member of the FWAA's 1977 All-America team and a College Football Hall of Famer, will be honored. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh will be the keynote speaker at the banquet. The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 24 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the NCFAA. The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 10-day period this month. Seventeen of the association's 24 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates. Following is the entire 2018 preseason watch list calendar: Mon., July 16: Bednarik Award/Maxwell Award Tues., July 17: Davey O’Brien Award Wed., July 18: Doak Walker Award Thurs., July 19: Biletnikoff Award Fri., July 20: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy Mon., July 23: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award/Butkus Award Tues., July 24: Outland Trophy presented by NFID/Bronko Nagurski Trophy Wed., July 25: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award Thurs., July 26: Paul Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy Fri., July 27: Walter Camp Award
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