Surprise, surprise. Iowa seniors Jack Campbell and Riley Moss appear on yet another award watchlist. This time the two defenders have been named to the Nagurski watchlist.
Few awards carry the amount of prestige for defensive players like the Nagurski Trophy. Awarded annually since 1993 by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the award recognizes the best defensive player in the nation.
The winners list reads off like a Hall of Fame ballot, featuring Warren Sapp, Charles Woodson, Ndamukong Suh, Luke Kuechly, and Aaron Donald. Some winners in recent years include Josh Allen, Chase Young, and last year’s winner, Will Anderson.
Campbell and Moss are each looking to be the first Hawkeyes ever to take home the award, while Moss specifically is looking to become the first defensive back to capture the Nagurski since Oklahoma‘s Derrick Strait in 2003. While no Hawkeye has won the Nagurski, linebackers Josey Jewell and Pat Angerer were both finalists.
Campbell and Moss both were featured by FWAA in their watch list reveal.
From the FWAA’s 2021 Second-Team All-America crew are Iowa teammates Jack Campbell and Riley Moss. Campbell is a senior linebacker who led the nation in tackles with 143 in 14 games and Moss tied for 14th nationally with four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. The Hawkeyes are one of four Big Ten schools and one of 20 overall that had at least a pair of players on the list. – FWAA.
It is just the most recent feather in the cap for both players. Each are again pegged to be amongst the nation’s elite at their respective positions. Campbell and Moss both appear on Athlon Sports and Sporting News’ preseason first-team All-American lists, as well as on the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list. Moss himself was named a Walter Camp preseason All-American, while Campbell appears on the Butkus Award watch list.
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