Tag: Watch List

Sean Clifford named to Davey O’Brien Award watch list

Sean Clifford is added to another watch list as watch list season unfolds

Another day of watch list season included another watch list to include Penn State quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]. Clifford was included on the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award on Tuesday.

The Davey O’Brien Award is presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback as determined by the Davey O’Brien Foundation.

Clifford is looking to become just the third quarterback in school history to receive the award. Past Penn State winners of the Davey O’Brien Award include [autotag]Todd Blackledge[/autotag] in 1982 and [autotag]Kerry Collins[/autotag] in 1994. Blackledge was the second recipient of the Davey O’Brien Award since the award shifted to a focus solely on quarterbacks in 1981 (BYU’s Jim McMahon won the first award after the change).

Previous winners of the Davey O’Brien Award include Steve Young, Doug Flutie, Vinny Testaverde, Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, Vince Young, Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, and Joe Burrow. Last year;’s winner of the award was Bryce Young of Alabama.

The last Big Ten quarterback to win the award was Troy Smith of Ohio State in 2006. No other Big Ten program has more than one Davey O’Brien Award winner besides Iowa (Chuck Long in 1985 and Brad Banks in 2002) and Penn State, although one was won when Penn State was an independent (and Nebraska‘s Eric Crouch won the award while playing in the Big 12).

Clifford was also named to the Maxwell Award watch list earlier this week.

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Key Lawrence added to the Lott IMPACT Trophy 2022 watch list

After a tremendous finish to the 2021 season, Oklahoma safety Key Lawrence is primed for a big 2022 and was placed on the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch list.

Key Lawrence had a bit of a slow start to his career for the Oklahoma Sooners, but when he began to see the field regularly due to injuries, the Sooners couldn’t take him off the field. He spent time at cornerback and safety and was an important piece to the Sooners secondary down the stretch.

With [autotag]Delarrin Turner-Yell[/autotag] off to the NFL and [autotag]Patrick Fields[/autotag] to Stanford, Lawrence figures to be in for a key role in Brent Venables’ defense. With a starter’s complement of snaps, the sky’s the limit for the Tennessee product.

In anticipation of what will likely be a big season for Lawrence, he’s been named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy 2022 watch list.

Named after former NFL Hall of Fame star Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy annually goes to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year, a player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field.  IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, all characteristics exhibited by Lott during his illustrious playing career.

Lawrence is one of 42 players the voting panel will be keeping their eye on heading into 2022 and one of 14 defensive backs.

Other nominees for the award include [autotag]Will Anderson Jr[/autotag]. of Alabama. Anderson finished fifth in the Heisman voting in 2021. Lawrence joins [autotag]Felix Anudike-Uzomah[/autotag] as the only players from the Big 12 to be considered on the preseason watch list.

In 2021, Lawrence registered 47 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and three forced fumbles while playing just the 10th-most snaps on the team last season.

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Wisconsin OLB Nick Herbig named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

On Monday afternoon, Wisconsin outside linebacker Nick Herbig was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List.

On Monday afternoon, Wisconsin outside linebacker Nick Herbig was named to the watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Related: See where Wisconsin ranks in College football SP+ updated preseason projections

The Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded to the country’s best defensive player, representing the IMPACT acronym of integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. Last season, former Wisconsin LB Jack Sanborn was also named to the award’s watch list.

It is outstanding to see another Wisconsin linebacker already being considered for such a prestigious award, and I would not be surprised to see Herbig on a few more award watch lists before the season starts.

6 2022 NFL draft prospects for Chiefs fans to know from Senior Bowl watch list

Our @TheJohnDillon thinks the #Chiefs should keep an eye on these 2022 NFL draft prospects named to the Senior Bowl watch list.

It’s far too early to predict what positions or prospects the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking at in the 2022 NFL draft. However, after the Reese’s Senior Bowl released their watch list ahead of the first weekend of college football, some players stand out as potential gems heading into the last year of their eligibility.

While Brett Veach and his staff of scouts are gearing up to dig deep on next year’s class, the watch list is a good place to start. These players made the initial cut for one of the most prestigious all-star games for prospective pro players. Their 2021 college football season will determine whether they’re among the final group selected to attend the game.

Here are a few athletes that could be future contributors in the NFL, and potentially in Kansas City:

Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz makes another national watch list

Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz makes another national watch list

The preseason accolades keep coming for Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz, as he made the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

As described, the award “is given annually to the nation’s top quarterback who best exemplifies character, scholastic and athletic achievement.”

The honor began back in 1987 and has been won by one past Badger signal-caller: Scott Tolzien (2010).

Recent winners of the award include Alabama’s Mac Jones, LSU’s Joe Burrow, Washington State’s Gardner Minshew and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolf.

This year’s watch list includes 63 quarterbacks from around the country. For the Big Ten Conference, though, here are the quarterbacks to make the list:

  • Graham Mertz
  • Sean Clifford (Penn State)
  • Adrian Martinez (Nebraska)
  • Tanner Morgan (Minnesota)
  • Michael Penix Jr. (Indiana)
  • Brandon Peters (Illinois)
  • Spencer Petras (Iowa)
  • Jack Plummer (Purdue)
  • Anthony Russo (Michigan State)
  • Taulia Tagovailoa (Maryland)

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Sean Clifford named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list

Penn State QB Sean Clifford lands on another college football award watch list for 2021

Penn State starting quarterback Sean Clifford was named to another watch list on Thursday, with the start of the 2021 college football season continuing to inch closer and closer. Clifford was named to the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Unlike some other notable passing awards, the Golden Arm Award is specifically for college football seniors or upperclassmen scheduled to graduate with their class. So no freshmen or sophomores are going to be among the watch-list candidates.

Clifford is set to begin his third season as Penn State’s starting quarterback. He will enter 2021 looking to shrug off some negative moments from the 2020 season. With Mike Yurcich coaching him and calling the offense, Clifford could be set to have his best season yet as a Penn State quarterback.

Last year’s recipient of the Golden Arm award was Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. Other past winners of the award include Joe Burrow, Marcus Mariota, Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning, and Carson Palmer. No Penn State player has managed to win the award, which was first presented in 1987 to Syracuse’s Don McPherson.

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Oklahoma Sooners land Two on Earl Campbell Tyler Rose watch list

Two Sooners with Texas ties land on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list.

The Oklahoma Sooners have announced wide receiver Marvin Mims and running back Kennedy Brooks have been named to the 2021 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list.

Despite the Sooners’ deep-seated rivalry with the Lone Star State, over 40 members of the Crimson and Cream have ties to Texas – an important qualification for Earl Campbell Tyler Rose consideration. Both Brooks and Mims rise above the rest, as they’re expected to build upon their already impressive resumes.

Mims led OU with 610 yards off 37 receptions in 2020. The 5-foot-11 receiver also made Big XII history as the first-ever freshman with nine touchdown receptions. A product of Frisco High School, Mims is forecasted to terrorize defenses from the slot in 2021.

Kennedy Brooks, who opted out of the 2020 campaign, will look to pick up where he left off in 2019 when he averaged 77 yards per game. In total, the Mansfield native has stockpiled 18 touchdowns and 2,067 rushing yards in his two seasons for the Sooners. Now, in a tandem with Eric Gray, Oklahoma expects to have as dynamic a backfield as anyone in the country.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding Division I offensive player who meets one or more of the following criteria: 1. Is born in Texas; 2. Graduated from a Texas high school; or 3. Played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year college.

Two more Wisconsin Badgers receive preseason watch list honors

Watch list season is up and running for the 2021 football season

We’ve entered watch list season for the 2021 college football season.

We’ve already seen Wisconsin’s Jalen Berger, Graham Mertz, Jack Sanborn and Paul Chryst receive various honors.

But earlier today, two more Wisconsin Badgers saw their names included in preseason watch lists for position awards.

First, it was Wisconsin star tight end Jake Ferguson on the John Mackey Award Watch List.

Ferguson starred for the Badgers in each of the last three years, totaling 99 catches, 1168 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.

The future NFL tight end will look to be the first Wisconsin Badger to win the award.

Joining Ferguson on a national watch list was center Kayden Lyles, as he was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List.

Lyles will look to be the second Badger to win the award after Tyler Biadasz did so in 2019.

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Penn State’s Jahan Dotson named to Biletnikoff Award watch list

Another day, another award watch list for Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

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Another day, another watch list for Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson. While Dotson was representing Penn State at Big Ten media day in Indianapolis, he was named to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.

Dotson was the Big Ten’s leading receiver in receiving yardage with 884 yards in nine games during the 2020 season. He also led the Big Ten with eight touchdowns. It is worth noting Dotson also played in more games than most receivers around the Big Ten, but he was third in the conference in average receiving yards per game (98.2) and he was among the Big Ten’s leaders in average yards per reception (17.0).

The Biletnikoff Award is awarded to college football’s top receiver, which is defined as any player who catches a pass and is not restricted to just wide receivers. This is a relatively new expansion of the criteria for the award. Of course, no player playing a position other than wide receiver has been able to take home the Biletnikoff Award yet.

Last year’s Biletnikoff Award winner was DeVonta Smith of Alabama, who also won the Heisman Trophy and went on to be a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dotson will look to bring the Biletnikoff Award back to Happy Valley for the first time since the award was originally presented to former Nittany Lion Bobby Engram in 1994.

You can check out the entire Biletnikoff Award watch list here. Players can be added to the watch list as the season progresses.

Dotson was previously named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award for the nation’s top college football player.

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Texas RB Bijan Robinson named to 2021 Maxwell Award Watch List

The award is given annually to the college football player of the year.

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It’s watch list season, which means college football will be here before you know it.

One of the most prestigious watch lists to be included on is the Maxwell Award. It’s given annually to the most outstanding player in college football. On Monday, 80 athletes were named to the Maxwell Award Watch List.

The Longhorns have one player listed in running back Bijan Robinson. Overall, 11 players from the Big 12 conference are included. The list also features six returning semifinalists from 2020: Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati), Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina), Breece Hall (Iowa State), D’Eriq King (Miami), Sam Howell (North Carolina), and Dillon Gabriel (UCF).

Texas’ offense will feature a heavy dose of Bijan Robinson in Steve Sarkisian’s system this season. The nation’s No. 1 running back for the 2020 cycle was used sparingly as a true freshman under former head coach Tom Herman.

Robinson’s freshman campaign ended with 703 rushing yards, including 183 in the Valero Alamo Bowl against Colorado where he earned MVP honors. The more impressive part is he accomplished that on 86 carries over nine games.

He set the school record for yards per carry in a game (19.1) at Kansas State and yards per carry in a season (8.2). His bursts of explosiveness last season is a primary reason that ESPN listed Robinson as a potential breakout star for the 2021 college football season.

It may be too premature for a Heisman discussion or to assume that he will become a Maxwell finalist, but it’s a solid bet that Robinson will soon become a household name across the country.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 1, while the three finalists will be unveiled November 22. The winner of the 2021 Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 9.