| 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 |
DB Tyler Horton, Boise State |
| DE Zach Allen, Boston College |
LB Khaleke Hudson, Michigan |
| LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Florida Atlantic |
DB Michael Jackson, Miami |
| DB Dravon Askew-Henry, West Virginia |
DE Cece Jefferson, Florida |
| LB Joe Bachie, Michigan State |
DE Jalen Jelks, Oregon |
| DE Ben Banogu, TCU |
DB Jaquan Johnson, Miami |
| DT Terry Beckner Jr., Missouri |
DT Dre'Mont Jones, Ohio State |
| DT Ryan Bee, Marshall |
DE Corbin Kaufusi, BYU |
| DB Julian Blackmon, Utah |
LB Jordan Kunaszyk, California |
| DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State |
DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson |
| DB Kris Boyd, Texas |
DE Jonathan Ledbetter, Georgia |
| DT Derrick Brown, Auburn |
DT Ira Lewis, Baylor |
| DB Blace Brown, Troy |
DB Shelton Lewis, Florida Atlantic |
| DE Austin Bryant, Clemson |
DT Ray Lima, Iowa State |
| LB Ben Burr-Kirven, Washington |
LB David Long Jr., West Virginia |
| LB Devin Bush, Michigan |
DB Julian Love, Notre Dame |
| DB T.J. Carter, Memphis |
DB Chase Lucas, Arizona State |
| DB Justin Clifton, Arkansas State |
DT David Moa, Boise State |
| LB Te'von Coney, Notre Dame |
LB James Nachtigal, Army West Point |
| DT Marquise Copeland, Cincinnati |
DE Anthony Nelson, Iowa |
| DE Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan |
DT Ed Oliver, Houston |
| DE Marlon Davidson, Auburn |
DB Amani Oruwariye, Penn State |
| DE Raekwon Davis, Alabama |
LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami |
| DB Lukas Denis, Boston College |
DB Delvon Randall, Temple |
| DB D’Cota Dixon, Wisconsin |
DB Taylor Rapp, Washington |
| LB Tyrel Dodson, Texas A&M |
DE Christian Rector, USC |
| DE Landis Durham, Texas A&M |
LB Malik Reed, Nevada |
| LB Troy Dye, Oregon |
LB David Reese, Florida |
| LB Cooper Edmiston, Tulsa |
DE Hunter Reese, Troy |
| DB Mike Edwards, Kentucky |
DT Olive Sagapolu, Wisconsin |
| LB T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin |
DT Jordon Scott, Oregon |
| DE Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech |
DB Duke Shelley, Kansas State |
| DE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson |
DT Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State |
| LB Paddy Fisher, Northwestern |
LB Cameron Smith, USC |
| DT Greg Gaines, Washington |
DE Sutton Smith, NIU |
| DE Rashan Gary, Michigan |
DE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State |
| DE Joe Gaziano, Northwestern |
LB Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii |
| DT Youhanna Ghaifan, Wyoming |
DB Marvell Tell III, USC |
| DB Kyle Gibson, UCF |
DB Juan Thornhill, Virginia |
| DB Mark Gilbert, Duke |
DT Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame |
| LB Ulysees Gilbert III, Akron |
DT Ricky Walker, Virginia Tech |
| LB Joe Giles-Harris, Duke |
LB Devin White, LSU |
| DE Carl Granderson, Wyoming |
DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson |
| LB Terez Hall, Missouri |
DB Greedy Williams, LSU |
| LB De’Jon Harris, Arkansas |
DB Andrew Wingard, Wyoming |
| DB Tae Hayes, Appalachian State |
DE Chase Winovich, Michigan |
| DB Lavert Hill, Michigan |
DT Daniel Wise, Kansas |
| DT Trysten Hill, UCF |
DE Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion |
| LB Khalil Hodge, Buffalo |
|
|
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
About the Football Writers Association of America
Founded in 1941, the non-profit Football Writers Association of
America (FWAA) consists of more than 1,300 members, including journalists,
broadcasters, publicists and key executives in all areas of college
football. Led by current President Stefanie Loh of the Seattle Times,
longtime Executive Director Steve Richardson, and a board of veteran
journalists, the association continues to grow and work to help
college football prosper at all levels. Visit footballwriters.com
for more information about the FWAA and its award programs.
ABOUT THE CHARLOTTE TOUCHDOWN CLUB AND ITS SPONSORS
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded
in 1991 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and
professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club's
activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding
citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area
athletes and coaches. Since 1991, the club has raised more than
$2,000,000 to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics.
For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com).
The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.com.
ACN, Inc.
Founded in 1993, ACN is the world's
largest direct seller of telecommunications, energy and essential
services for residential and business customers. ACN provides the
services people need and use every day including phone service,
high-speed internet, wireless, television, security and automation,
computer support, payment processing and natural gas and electricity.
ACN operates in 25 countries with offices located throughout North
America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. For more information,
visit myacn.com. For information on ACN's home-based business opportunity,
visit acninc.com.
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