Tag: Preseason Awards

Florida special teamers named Phil Steele Preseason All-Americans

The Gators have one of the best punting games in the country, and it’s earning some preseason All-American nods.

Florida punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] and long snapper [autotag]Rocco Underwood[/autotag] made the Phil Steele Preseason All-American list, according to the publication on Monday.

Underwood made the third team and Crawshaw was named to the fourth team.

Crawshaw is coming off an AP All-SEC Second Team Selection in 2023, his third as the Gators’ starting punter. He owns the program record of 46.7 average yards per punt in a career, through a minimum of 90 punts.

He also set the single-season program record with 48.9 average yards over his 42 attempts last year. Over 131 career punt attempts, Crawshaw has placed 51 inside the 20-yard line and booted 55 beyond 50 yards. Pro Football Focus ranked him 12th among punters last season with an 80.4 rating.

Underwood has been Florida’s primary long snapper for the past two seasons, although he made his debut in 2021 against UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl before redshirting.

He played over 100 snaps last year, earning a career-low 49.7 rating from PFF as a special teamer, but he was elite in 2022 at 74.9. The team presented him with one of eight Unsung Hero Awards at the end of the season banquet.

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Two Longhorns make the preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List

Only Wisconsin can boast as many Doak Walker winners as Texas. 

Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson are squarely in the spotlight heading into the 2022 season. The two running backs were named to the preseason Doak Walker Watch List issued by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.

The Doak Walker award is given to the best running back in the nation. Doak Walker was a standard-setter at SMU at the halfback position.

Famously, Ricky Williams wore No. 37 in the Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma to honor the running back with whom he would befriend before Walker’s passing. Williams, now known as Errick Miron, remarked, “I thought it would be neat to wear 37 in the house that Doak built,” said Williams. “I’m playing with him in my heart.”

Four Longhorns have won the prestigious award. Only Wisconsin can boast as many Doak Walker winners as Texas.

Robinson and Johnson will try to join Cedric Benson, D’Onta Foreman, and two-time winner Ricky Williams on that list.

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Oklahoma Sooners selected to Pro Football Focus’ All-Big 12 Team

Pro Football Focus released their preseason All-Big 12 team and the Oklahoma Sooners were heavily featured with nine selections in all.

As we get closer to the start of the 2021 season, major media publications will begin releasing their preseason awards and all-conference teams. The Oklahoma Sooners figure to be featured quite prominently on many All-American and All-Big 12 squads. And that was the case as Pro Football Focus released their All-Big 12 team.

In all nine Sooners made the squad, headlined by quarterback Spencer Rattler.

Oklahoma’s Brady Manek named to Karl Malone Award watch list

Oklahoma’s Brady Manek has been named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award watch list ahead of the 2020-21 season.

The 2020-21 college basketball season is less than three weeks away and the preseason awards watch lists are starting to roll in.

Last week, it was announced that Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves was named to the preseason All-Big 12 team. Today, Sooner forward Brady Manek has been placed on the watch list for the 2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.

He is one of four Big 12 players on the list, joined by Baylor’s Mark Vital, Texas’ Greg Brown, and West Virginia’s Oscar Tshiebwe.

Entering his senior season, Manek has been a big part of the Oklahoma team ever since his freshman year alongside Trae Young. His career averages through three collegiate seasons are at a solid 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and he is the only player in Sooner history to have accumulated 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 150 3-pointers, and 75 blocks in their career.

Sitting just outside the top 30 in all-time points in school history, Manek will begin his senior campaign 20 days from now on Nov. 25th at home against UTSA.

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