Tag: preseason watch list

Devon Achane named to Paul Horning award preseason watch list

Aggies RB Devon Achane is set for a monster 2022 season.

Star running back, Devon Achane, has been added to the Paul Hornung Award preseason watch list – an award given annually to the most versatile player in major college football. This is Achane’s third selection to a major award preseason watch list for the 2022 College Football season (see Doak Walker Award and Maxwell Award).

This will be the Paul Hornung Award’s thirteenth recipient, created and successfully launched in 2010 by the Louisville Sports Commission to honor its namesake and native son, in addition to promoting game-changing performances by versatile players who may remain “under the radar.” The award’s watch list was constructed by a panel of college football experts based on statistics, career performances, 2022 expectations and SID recommendations. In addition to preseason watch list selections, Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll winners – regular-season recognition for game-changing, versatile performances – will also be eligible to win the award.

The Aggies are nearing one month until their season-opener, on Saturday, September 3rd, versus Sam Houston at Kyle Field.

Alabama Morning Drive: Tide set to host five-star Keon Keeley over the weekend

Five-star Notre Dame commit set to start Alabama visit today.

Good morning, Tide fans and welcome to our Friday edition of Alabama Morning Drive.

[autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and Alabama are fresh off the massive commitment of five-star [autotag]Caleb Downs[/autotag] and now the coaching staff is set to host another five-star on an unofficial visit this weekend in [autotag]Keon Keeley[/autotag].

Keeley is the nation’s No. 3 overall prospect according to On3’s rankings and is currently committed to Notre Dame.

Keeley has been committed to the Fighting Irish for more than a year now, but it appears the talented pass rusher is still combing through his options and a flip to the Crimson Tide is not completely out of the question. Receiving this visit is certainly a step in the right direction.

Let’s take a quick look at a few other stories to be aware of this morning.

Texas TE Ja’Tavion Sanders makes preseason watch list for John Mackey Award

The award is given annually to the nation’s top tight end.

Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders is expected to burst onto the college football scene this season. Continue reading “Texas TE Ja’Tavion Sanders makes preseason watch list for John Mackey Award”

Devon Achane named to Maxwell Award preseason watch list

Devon Achane has the chance to put up a monster 2022 season, that potential has earned him a spot on the Maxwell award watchlist.

On Monday morning, Aggies junior running back, Devon Achane was named to theΒ  2022 Maxwell Award preseason watch list – the award presented to the best player in college football. This award has been presented to college football’s “Player of the Year” since 1937.

In 2021, Achane was an explosive weapon in the backfield, and as a receiver, all while being mostly a backup to Isaiah Spiller. Even with Spiller’s 1,000+ yard rushing campaign, Achane made and impact rushing for 943 yards on 130 carries – an outstanding 7.0 yards/rush and finished with a team-high nine rushing touchdowns. Achane was a weapon as a receiver and kick-returner, as well, combining for 261 receiving yards on 24 catches (10.88 yards/catch) and 301 kick-return yards on nine returns (33.44 yards/return), highlighted by a 98-yard kick-return touchdown in their win over top-ranked Alabama.

With Achane stepping into the RB1 role in 2022, look for his skillset to be further highlighted as he aims to become one of the nation’s most feared weapons – the first step into making this preseason watch list a November reality.

 

LSU lands three on Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

The Tigers are the only school with three players on the watch list.

LSU begins its baseball season on Friday night against Maine, and this team is getting quite a bit of hype entering the year. The Tigers lead the nation with three players on the 2022 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List released by USA Baseball on Tuesday.

The announcement of the 55-player watch list begins the process of identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country for the 2022 season. The LSU players on the Golden Spikes Award Watch list are, sophomore outfielder Dylan Crews, sophomore first baseman Tre’ Morgan, and sophomore infielder Jacob Berry.

LSU is the only school with three players on the list and is followed by Arizona State, Arkansas, California, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas, and Vanderbilt, all of which have two representatives.

Crews, the 2021 Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year, hit .362 last season with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases. The product of Longwood, Florida, also received All-America, Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC, and Freshman All-SEC recognition, and he was voted the Louisiana Freshman of the Year.

He finished No. 1 in the SEC last season in total bases (163), No. 3 in batting average, No. 3 in on-base percentage (.453), No. 4 in base hits, No. 4 in runs scored, No. 5 in doubles, and No. 5 in home runs.

Morgan, a product of New Orleans, La., batted .357 (89-for-249) in 2021 with 16 doubles, four triples, six homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases. He received Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC, and Freshman All-SEC honors,Β  and he was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. He finished No. 4 in the SEC in batting average, No. 4 in base hits, No. 4 in runs scored, No. 4 in triples, No. 5 in doubles, No. 5 in stolen bases, and No. 7 in on-base percentage (.441).

Berry, who transferred last summer to LSU from Arizona, led the Wildcats to the 2021 College World Series and the Pac-12 championship.

A product of Queen Creek, Ariz., Berry batted .352 in 2021 with team-highs of 17 homers and 70 RBI, and Collegiate Baseball newspaper named him the National Co-Freshman of the Year. Berry earned first-team All-America recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and he received second-team All-America honors from D1Baseball and Perfect Game.

This will be the first season with Jay Johnson at the helm after longtime coach Paul Mainieri retired at the end of last season following a 15-year tenure. Johnson made the College World Series twice in his previous job at Arizona, and he’ll have quite a bit of talent to work with this offseason.

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Contact/Follow usΒ @LSUTigersWireΒ on Twitter, and like our page onΒ FacebookΒ to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Oklahoma Sooners lead USA Softball’s National Player of the Year watch list

Ahead of the 2022 season, Oklahoma Sooners Jocelyn Alo, Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, and Kinzie Hansen were named to USA Softball’s National Player of the Year watch list.

The Oklahoma Sooners come into the 2022 season with incredibly high expectations. Based on their 2021, they’re warranted. After setting a new record for home runs in a season and returning much of the team that set a new standard for run-rule wins, the Oklahoma Sooners are the far and away favorite for the 2022 national title based on preseason rankings.

Both D1 Softball and USA Softball voted the Sooners their unanimous preseason No. 1. With just a couple of weeks until the Sooners’ season opener against UC-Santa Barbara, USA Softball released its preseason National Player of the Year watch list.

The 2021 National Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo leads the way and is the favorite to repeat as winner of the prestigious award. Joining her are freshman of the year Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, and Kinzie Hansen.

Alo was a force all season from her designated hitter role, setting career highs across the board. She hit .475 with 34 home runs, 89 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 1.109. Her home runs and slugging percentage were the best in the NCAA.

Tiare Jennings was just as remarkable in her freshman season for the Sooners. She was second in the country with 27 home runs and collected an NCAA freshman record 92 RBIs. She had an impressive 1.000 slugging percentage and led the nation in doubles with 25.

Fellow freshman Jayda Coleman was impressive in her first year with the Sooners. She was electric in center field, providing highlight-reel defense for the No. 1 team in the nation. On the season, she hit .444 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs while leading the team with 20 stolen bases. She was a first-team All-American and National Freshman of the Year Finalist.

Starting 58 games for the Sooners last season, Kinzie Hansen hit .438 as a sophomore. Her 24 home runs were fifth in the nation and added 66 RBIs. Hansen registered a .990 fielding percentage from behind the plate with 279 putouts and 21 assists.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a ton of talent in their lineup and will be a force to be reckoned with on the diamond. Any one of these four on the preseason watch list could end up as National Player of the Year.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWireΒ on Twitter, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Gators head coach Dan Mullen named to Dodd Trophy preseason watch list

Gators coach Dan Mullen has gained quite a bit of national prominence after just two seasons in Gainesville, and that is starting to show.

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Gators coach Dan Mullen has gained quite a bit of national prominence after just two seasons in Gainesville, and that is starting to show on national coaching award watch lists.

The Bobby Dodd Trophy is given annually to the nation’s top coach, and Mullen was one of 13 coaches nominated for this year’s preseason watch list. Last year’s winner was Utah’s Kyle Wittingham.

He’s joined on the list by fellow SEC coaches Ed Orgeron of LSU, Nick Saban of Alabama, Kirby Smart of Georgia and Guz Malzahn of Auburn. With five coaches represented, the SEC leads all conferences on the Dodd watch list.

The award is limited to coaches whose teams will be competing this fall, so only the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and AAC are represented. However, nine other coaches from the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Mountain West, all of which have canceled their fall seasons, met the criteria for the Dodd Trophy watch list and were recognized accordingly.

The watch list will be narrowed midway through the season to semifinalists and later to finalists after the conclusion of the regular season. The winner will be announced in Atlanta the week of the Peach Bowl.

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Caleb Kelly named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list

Senior LB Caleb Kelly was named to the Danny Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list on Thursday.Β 

Senior LB Caleb Kelly was named to the Danny Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list on Thursday.

The award, named after the star Florida QB, annually honors the player “who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.”

Kelly returned to his hometown of Fresno, CA last month to participate in a peaceful protest for racial justice.Β After coming across photos of a protest in downtown Fresno, Kelly was determined to take a personal stake in the movement.

β€œI didn’t hear about that one and I was like, β€˜I’ll make sure I’ll come out to this one,’” he told the Fresno Bee. β€œIt’s important and powerful, for sure.”

Kelly, rated a five-star LB by 247Sports out of high school, has fought through a gauntlet of injuries during his time in Norman.

After playing much of the 2017 season with a torn shoulder labrum, he was forced to undergo lower body surgery prior to the Sooners’ 2019 campaign.

He played in only four games last year, totaling seven tackles.

Kelly at full-strength would be a valuable addition to any defense, but especially one that is rapidly changing its identity.Β Since Alex Grinch took over as defensive coordinator, OU’s defense has undergone a complete makeover.

It’s apparent that veterans like Kelly play a key role in ensuring a smooth transition. But Kelly can also benefit from Grinch’s new system and make his final season in Norman his best yet.

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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.Β 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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