Tag: Hornung Award

Notre Dame players named to preseason award watch lists

Will anyone win this year?

It’s the time of year when we start seeing award watch lists come out in anticipation of the college football season. With Notre Dame expected to be highly ranked once again, there are plenty of players who are ripe for watching. Whether or not any of them actually take home any of this hardware is anyone’s guess right now, but they’re at least on the radar of those who know college football best.

In some cases, more than one Notre Dame player is on the watch list for the same award. Also, as different award watch lists come on different days, it can be difficult to keep track of them all. Rest assured, we will be doing just that as these lists continue to come out.

At season’s end, we’ll find out if any of them or maybe somebody different becomes the first national award winner for the Irish since [autotag]Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah[/autotag] won the Butkus Award in 2020:

Three more Notre Dame players make award watch lists

Hopefully, one of these players wins.

College football continues to creep closer, and preseason award watch lists to continue to come out. On Thursday alone, three more Notre Dame players were named to them. Actually, it was two new players and one player making a second list. When it rains, it pours.

Look, we have no delusions that the Irish are going to sweep every award with one of their players on one of these lists. Not only is that a virtual impossibility, but outsiders would become extremely suspicious that the whole system is rigged for one school. Heck, the College Football Playoff is rigged for only two or three conferences, so it’s not like there should be another reason to get on fans’ bad side.

Still, it’s nice to see which players there are to watch for the Irish this season. They may not all pan out, but the expectations will be there.

Anyway, here are the latest Irish players on watch lists:

Michigan State football WR Jayden Reed named Hornung Award finalist

Michigan State football WR Jayden Reed named Hornung Award finalist

For the last few seasons, Michigan State football has had a perennial contender for the Hornung Award in Connor Heyward. Now, Jayden Reed is taking that mantle as one of the nation’s most versatile players and was named a finalist for it on Wednesday.

Reed has shown that he is one of the top receivers in the country while also striking fear into opposing special teams units with his dynamic kick and punt returning, earning his spot on this list.

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Toney, Lang placed on watch lists for Hornung Award, Wuerffel Trophy

Kadarius Toney was nominated for the Paul Hornung Award while tight end Dante Lang was named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Award.

An accolade-filled offseason continues for the Gators, as two more players were named to award watch lists on Thursday. Senior athlete Kadarius Toney was nominated for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation’s most versatile player, while redshirt sophomore tight end Dante Lang was named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Award, a service award named after former UF star and 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel.

Toney, a bit of a gadget player who sees time at receiver, running back and wildcat quarterback, is coming off a bit of a disappointing 2019 season in which he missed six games due to nagging injuries. He was limited to just 59 rushing yards on 12 carries and 10 catches for 194 yards. Toney saw sparse action as a returner on special teams, but he totaled just 33 yards on returns last season.

Still, Toney is one of the most electric players in the country with the ball in his hands, and if coach Dan Mullen and Florida’s offense can find a way to get him more involved, he’ll have a good shot at the Hornung Award, which is set to be announced at the Paul Hornung Award dinner in Louisville, Kent., next March.

Lang, on the other hand, is being honored for his off-the-field contributions. He logged 43 service hours during the 2019-20 school year volunteering at local elementary schools, for which he was given the 2020 Male Goodwill Athlete of the Year for his positive impact on the community.

Semifinalists for the Wuerffel Trophy will be announced on Nov. 3 with finalist announcements coming on Nov. 20. The winner will be announced by the National Football Foundation in New York City on Dec. 8 with the trophy set to be presented Wuerffel’s hometown of Fort Walton Beach on Feb. 19, 2021.

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Tre Brown named to Hornung Award watch list

Senior CB Tre Brown was named to the Paul Hornung Award watch list on Thursday

Senior CB Tre Brown was named to the Paul Hornung Award preseason watch list on Thursday.

The Hornung Award has annually honored the nation’s most versatile player since 2010. Brown will be looking to become the very first Sooner to take home the award.

Besides helping to anchor OU’s secondary for the past three seasons, the Tulsa native is OU’s primary kick returner. And with CeeDee Lamb’s departure for the NFL, Brown may be inheriting punt return duties as well.

As a DB, Brown racked up 32 tackles, 11 deflections and one interception last season. He also returned 23 kickoffs for an average of 17.9 yards, good for 4th in the Big 12.

This season, Brown and the rest of the Sooners will be looking to take another step into Alex Grinch’s Speed D system.

In Grinch’s first season, OU ranked 46th in the country in passing yards per game allowed, a massive improvement from 2018 (129th out of 130).

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