Tag: lott trophy

Two Notre Dame players named to Lott Trophy Watch List

Watch list season has begun.

June officially is upon us, which means we’re one step closer to college football returning. That also means award watch lists are starting to come out, and plenty of Notre Dame players will be on them considering the Irish are expected to be College Football Playoff contenders. We have our first such instance now.

[autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Howard Cross III[/autotag] have been named to the watch list for the Lott Trophy, which is given annually the best defensive IMPACT player. It considers character as well as play, the only major college football award to do so. [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] is the lone previous winner for the Irish, taking the award in 2012.

The initial list consists of 42 names, so that obviously means a lot of competition for both players. Hopefully, at least one of them somehow stand out above the rest when the winner is announced during the ceremony Dec. 8 in Newport Beach, California.

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UNC defensive leader Kaimon Rucker named to Lott Trophy watch list

University of North Carolina defensive leader Kaimon Rucker Named to Lott Trophy Watch List.

The University of North Carolina defensive leader [autotag]Kaimon Rucker[/autotag] has been named to the Lott Trophy Watch List.

The Lott Trophy named after NFL Hall of Fame defensive star Ronnie Lott, is awarded to a player on defense, who produces the biggest impact on and off the field. Rucker is one of 41 others to be named to the watch list, joining Marlowe Wax, Ashton Gillotte, Tre Freeman, Barrett Carter, and Rueben Bain as players representing the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

A player from UNC has yet to win the award, failing to earn a finalist spot.

Rucker will be counted on heavily this season for UNC’s defense with the departure of [autotag]Cedric Gray[/autotag] to the Tennessee Titans. Last season, Rucker had a year to remember, finishing with a career-high tackles (61), sacks (8.5), and tackles resulting in loss (15).

Those numbers should only increase with a more aggressive defensive scheme on the horizon behind defensive coordinator Geoff Collins. Safe to say, Rucker has a chance to bring the Lott trophy to Chapel Hill.

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Dallas Turner, Kool-Aid McKinstry named Lott Trophy semi-finalists

Two Alabama defensive standouts are recognized as semi-finalists for the Lott Trophy

The Lott IMPACT Trophy recognizes the nation’s top college football defensive player who exemplifies Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity.

Alabama football’s Kool-Aid McKinstry and Dallas Turner were recently named as semifinalists for the trophy.

Both McKinstry and Turner are stars on the field and leaders in the locker room, they are now one step closer to being recognized as the top IMPACT player in the country.

In 2005, Alabama linebacker Demeco Ryans won the award and Will Anderson Jr. won it just last season in 2022. Only on school has had back-to-back Lott Trophy award winners: UCLA in 2013 and 2014.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow McKinstry and Turner as the 2023 season progresses.

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Two of Alabama’s DBs placed on the pre-season Lott Trophy watch list

Malachi Moore and Kool-Aid McKinstry placed on pre-season award watch list!

Of all of the position groups on the Alabama football team, none is stronger than the defensive back room. [autotag]Malachi Moore[/autotag] and Kool-Aid McKinstry are the focal points, but Caleb Downs is a true freshman to keep your eyes on as many believe he is going to be a superstar.

With so much time until the season starts, we don’t know who will truly end up earning starting jobs, but guys like Trey Amos, Earl Little, Terrion Arnold Jaylen Key, and Tony Mitchell are all trying to find their own ways of getting snaps.

By running the ball and having a strong defense, you can control the pace of the game a little more and I think Saban wants to get away from being in those 50 points shoot-outs as he has the last few seasons. It helps a lot when you have guys like Moore and McKinstry leading your defense. McKinstry is already widely viewed as a top-ten pick in the 2024 NFL draft while Moore is a crazy talented guy who will have to play himself into being a day-one selection next year.

Both Moore and McKinstry have been placed on the preseason watch list for the Lott Trophy in 2023. The Lott Impact Trophy is annually awarded to colleges football’s defensive IMPACT player of the year. IMPACT is simply just an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. Will Anderson, their former teammate, was the winner in 2022.

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Help Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph win the Lott Trophy player of the week

Brandon Joseph, Lott Trophy player of the week sounds good

When [autotag]Brandon Joseph[/autotag] transferred from Northwestern, it was viewed as a massive win for the Notre Dame secondary. So far he’s had an up-and-down season, but it seems like the bye week helped Joseph a lot.

After not registering a tackle against North Carolina, the former All-American was all over the place against BYU. Joseph tallied six tackles and was instrumental in holding Cougar quarterback [autotag]Jaren Hall[/autotag] to just 120 yards on the night and a very pedestrian quarterback rating of just 54.7. That effort caught the eyes of the Lott Trophy, who annual awards the best safety in the country, and Joseph is up for week six honors.

Help him out and click on the link, to vote for Joseph to win the week 6 honors from the Lott Trophy.

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Notre Dame’s JD Bertrand, Brandon Joseph make Lott Trophy Watch List

Hope one of them wins this!

It might seem like college football is far away, but it’s not far away enough that award watch lists can’t be made. We now have one for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is the only major award in the sport that considers character. It’s good to know that performance doesn’t play a factor in this one, and it’s even better seeing two Notre Dame players make the 42-player list. Those players are linebacker [autotag]JD Bertrand[/autotag] and safety transfer [autotag]Brandon Joseph[/autotag].

If Bertrand or Joseph were to win the Lott Trophy, they would join [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] in 2012 as the only Irish players to be so honored. [autotag]Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah[/autotag] is the only other player in the award’s history to be a finalist, doing so in 2020.

Bertrand, the Irish’s leading tackler in 2021 (101), has been nominated for being the president of Notre Dame’s Uplifting Athletes chapter, which is part of an organization that raises money for athletes suffering from rare diseases. Joseph, a transfer from Northwestern, is a Consensus All-American and had an Academic All-State honor in high school.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Rumor: Freeman has found his linebackers coach in another former Buckeye

This would be a home run hire

Marcus Freeman is still putting together his staff and it seems like he has found his next linebackers coach in former Ohio State teammate James Laurinaitis. The “Little Animal” was a two-time defense player of the year in the Big Ten, a three-time consensus All-American, along with winning the Lott Trophy, Butkus Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

His career was definitely decorated, playing in the NFL for 8 season as well before transitioning into the commentator booth. Freeman looks to have lured  his former Buckeye teammate back to the sidelines with him. This, in my estimation, would be another fantastic hire on Freeman’s staff that is looking like they will use their Buckeye ties to try and create what they had in Columbus during their playing tenure together.

TBT – Luke Kuechly’s Oddly Consistent Production vs. Notre Dame

Kuechly and Boston College went 0-3 in three games against Notre Dame between 2009 and 2011.  However, Kuechly’s stat-line in those three games was incredibly consistent.

The biggest story in the NFL this week aside from preparation for the AFC and NFC Conference Championship games has been the sudden decision by Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly to retire.

Kuechly was a terror for the Panthers, twice leading the league in tackles while averaging 136.5 per season for his eight year career, intercepting 18 passes in his career and averaging more than half a tackle-for-loss each game he suited up for.

His NFL resume includes seven Pro Bowl selections, five appearances as a first-team All-Pro, three Butkus Awards and he was the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year.

It’s easy to forget but in no way a surprise, Kuechly was a monster on an otherwise entirely-forgettable Boston College team that went 19-19 in his three seasons in Chestnut Hill (2009-11).

During his time at BC, Kuechly walked away with the 2011 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as the Bronco Nagurski, Butkus, Lombardi and Lott Trophy Awards the same season.  To boot he was a two-time Consensus All-American.

Kuechly and Boston College went 0-3 in three games against Notre Dame between 2009 and 2011.  However, Kuechly’s stat-line in those three games was incredibly consistent.

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2009:  Notre Dame 20, Boston College 16 at Notre Dame Stadium
Kuechly – 14 tackles (7 solo, 7 assists), 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defended

2010:  Notre Dame 31, Boston College 13 at Alumni Stadium
Kuechly – 14 tackles, (7 solo, 7 assists), 1 tackle for loss

2011:  Notre Dame 16, Boston College 14 at Notre Dame Stadium
Kuechly – 14 tackles (7 solo, 7 assists), 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defended

I’m not a mathmatician but it’s pretty easy to figure out his averages in those three games.  So easy in fact that I’ll let you do it yourselves.

Congrats on one helluva career, Luke.