Tag: Watch Lists

Penn State wide receiver lands on watch list for Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award

Is this Penn State wide receiver the best offensive player in college football from the state of Texas?

Who is the top college football player from the state of Texas? It’s a stacked field of options, but mixed in that conversation is Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award honors college football’s top offensive player with that player required to either have been born in Texas, played high school in Texas or played college football in Texas. Washington, who is from Texas, qualifies to be in the running for the award.

Washington was Penn State’s second-leading receiver in 2020, behind only Jahan Dotson. Washington recorded 489 receiving yards on 36 receptions with six touchdowns. He heads into the 2021 season looking to continue to being a contributing factor in the Penn State offense, which is now under the direction of former Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

The earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award was first presented in 2013 to Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. Only one player from the Big Ten has won the award so far, with that being Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins in 2019. Last year’s winner was Florida quarterback Kyle Trask.

No wide receiver has won the award so far. Quarterbacks have won the award six out of the eight years it has been presented, with running backs winning the other two.

If Parker manages to win this award, then Penn State should be in for a pretty fun season.

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Penn State wide receiver lands on watch list for Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award

Is this Penn State wide receiver the best offensive player in college football from the state of Texas?

Who is the top college football player from the state of Texas? It’s a stacked field of options, but mixed in that conversation is Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award honors college football’s top offensive player with that player required to either have been born in Texas, played high school in Texas or played college football in Texas. Washington, who is from Texas, qualifies to be in the running for the award.

Washington was Penn State’s second-leading receiver in 2020, behind only Jahan Dotson. Washington recorded 489 receiving yards on 36 receptions with six touchdowns. He heads into the 2021 season looking to continue to being a contributing factor in the Penn State offense, which is now under the direction of former Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

The earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award was first presented in 2013 to Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. Only one player from the Big Ten has won the award so far, with that being Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins in 2019. Last year’s winner was Florida quarterback Kyle Trask.

No wide receiver has won the award so far. Quarterbacks have won the award six out of the eight years it has been presented, with running backs winning the other two.

If Parker manages to win this award, then Penn State should be in for a pretty fun season.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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Penn State’s top linemen named on Lombardi Award watch list

A pair of Penn State’s top linemen appear on the watch list for the Lombardi Award in 2021

Penn State is opening camp in Happy Valley as the watch list season begins to wind down. But two more Penn State linemen had their names added to a watch list on Friday with the release of the Rotary Lombardi Award watch list.

Offensive lineman Rasheed Walker and defensive lineman PJ Mustipher were each named to the watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award, which goes to the nation’s top lineman in college football at the end of the season.

Walker is also on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to college football’s top interior lineman. The Lombardi Award can go to any lineman regardless of position. Walker is considered by many to be a possible first-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL draft, and the preseason accolades back up the idea he may be Penn State’s top offensive lineman in years.

Mustipher was previously added to the watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. He is the lone returning starter on Penn State’s defensive line, although offseason transfers have helped to provide some experience in the trenches in a busy offseason.

Penn State has two all-time winners of the Lombardi Award since the award was first presented in 1970 to Ohio State’s Jim Stillwagon. Defensive tackle Bruce Clark was Penn State’s first Lombardi Award winner in 1978. In 2015, Carl Nassib became the second player from Penn State to win the award.

Tulsa’s Zaven Collins took home the Lombardi Award for the 2020 season. The most recent player from the Big Ten to win the award was Nassib in 2015.

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Penn State QB Sean Clifford named on Wuerffel Trophy watch list

Penn State QB Sean Clifford is on the watch list for a college football community service award in 2021

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford may have been snubbed on one watch list designed for quarterbacks, but the third-year starter was recognized on the watch list for a different kind of award on Thursday.

Clifford was named on the watch list for the Danny Wuerffel Trophy, an award designed to recognize college football’s top leaders in community service. The award is named after former Florida Gators quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who has been an influencer in community service over the years.

The Wuerffel Trophy was first awarded in 2005, when LSU center Rudy Niswanger received the award. No Penn State player has yet to win the award.

Teton Saltes, an offensive lineman from New Mexico, was the recipient of the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy. The last Big Ten player to receive the award was Ohio State’s Joel Penton in 2006.

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Pair of Penn State offensive linemen included on watch list for Outland Trophy

Penn State has two offensive linemen named on the watch list for the Outland Trophy in 2021

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The quality of offensive linemen coming through Happy Valley continues to be on the rise, and the 2021 season could be one of the best yet under head coach James Franklin. On Monday, two pieces of the Penn State offensive line were named on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top interior lineman.

Offensive tackle Rasheed Walker and center Mike Miranda were among those named on the watch list for the Outland Trophy by the Football Writers Association of America. The Outland Trophy can go to an offensive or defensive lineman. The only qualification is playing an interior line position primarily.

Penn State has one Outland Trophy winner in the long history of the award. Mike Reid received the award in 1969 for his success on the defensive line. The Outland Trophy has been awarded annually since 1946.

Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood won the Outland Trophy for the 2020 season, giving Alabama six all-time Outland Trophy winners. Alabama has had three of the last five Outland Trophy winners. Nebraska has nine all-time Outland Trophy winners to lead the nation.

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Wisconsin LB Jack Sanborn named to the Butkus Award preseason watch list

The Wisconsin senior linebacker has been added to another preseason award watch list

On Monday morning, Wisconsin inside linebacker Jack Sanborn was named to the Butkus Award Watch List, which is awarded to the best linebacker in college football every season.

Related: Wisconsin LB Jack Sanborn named to Bednarik Award Watch List

This will be the third award that Jack Sanborn has been nominated for this offseason. In addition to the Butkus Award Watch List, the senior linebacker has already been named to the watch lists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Bednarik Award.

Jack Sanborn has been the anchor of the Wisconsin defense for the last couple of seasons, and I would not be surprised to see him added to a few more watch lists before the season starts.

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Penn State’s projected starting TE named to the Mackey Award watch list

Penn State TE Brenton Strange has been named to the Mackey Award watch list with some of college football’s best tight ends

Although Penn State has a pretty solid history of tight ends over the years, the Nittany Lions have never had a player win the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. Brenton Strange hopes to change that in 2021.

Strange was named to the 2021 watch list for the John Mackey Award, which recognizes the nation’s best tight end. Strange is one of 56 players named to the watch list for the individual award for the 2021 season.

As a freshman in 2020, Strange played in all nine games played by Penn State and caught 17 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Strange played as a backup to Pat Freiermuth for much of the season but was elevated in his role following a season-ending injury to the future second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Strange showed off some brilliance at times and appeared to be difficult for defenders to take down at times.

Strange is expected to be Penn State’s starting tight end this season, although Penn State may also have a solid tight end option in Theo Johnson as well.

The Mackey Award has been presented annually since the 2000 season when Purdue’s Tim Stratton won the inaugural award. Last year’s winner was Florida‘s Kyle Pitts. Other past winners of the Mackey Award include Dallas Clark (Iowa, 2002), Tyler Eiffert (Notre Dame, 2012), Nick O’Leary (Florida State, 2014), Jake Butt (Michigan, 2016), and T.J. Hockenson (Iowa, 2018).

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Penn State leads nation in Doak Walker Award watch list running backs

Penn State is the only school with THREE Doak Walker Award watch list players. Can any of them win it for the second time in school history?

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If you had any doubts about the quality depth at the running back position in Happy Valley, then doubt no more. Penn State landed three players on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award on Wednesday, more than any other school in the country.

The Doak Walker Award is awarded annually to the top running back in college football. This year’s watch list was first released with Penn State’s Noah Cain, Keyvone Lee, and John Lovett on the watch list. As is typically the case, a player does not need to appear on the watch list before the season to be eligible to win the award, but it is still nice to be included among the nation’s best at your respective position. Other Nittany Lions aren’t able to say the same this week.

Cain suffered an early season-ending injury in 2020 but appears to be on track to be available for the Nittany Lions in 2021. If healthy, it is expected Cain will be the leading rusher for Penn State.

In Cain’s absence last season, Lee was one of the younger players (along with Devyn Ford) to receive more playing time in the offense, and he showed some good glimpses of what he can do as well.

Lovett is the newest member to the Penn State family, but he is already the most experienced back in the program after transferring from Baylor. Lovett was a key offensive player for Baylor early on in his time in Waco, and he is expected to be a solid piece of the offensive gameplan at Penn State.

Penn State has had just one Doak Walker Award winner in program history despite the award first being presented in 1990. Larry Johnson won the Doak Walker Award in 2002. Ki-Jana Carter missed out on the Doak Walker Award in 1994 behind Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam from Colorado. More recently, Saquon Barkley couldn’t get past Stanford’s Bryce Love or Texas’ D’Onta Foreman for the award.

Alabama’s Najee Harris (drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers along with Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth this spring) won the Doak Walker Award in 2020.

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson and safety Jaquan Brisker were recently named to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and Chuck Bednarik Award, respectively.

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Penn State’s Sean Clifford snubbed by Davey O’Brien Award watch list

Penn State’s Sean Clifford was snubbed by the watch list for the nation’s top passing award.

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College football award watch list season continued Tuesday with the release of the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award. But the quarterback award’s watch list included 30 of the nation’s top passers to be considered for the award at the end of the season, but one particular quarterback was left off the list entirely. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford was not included on the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award.

The Davey O’Brien Award is awarded to the nation’s best college quarterback. The award does not require a player to appear on the watch list to win, so Clifford could absolutely still play himself into the conversation for the nation’s top passing award.

It also makes some sense why Clifford may have been omitted from the list of 30 players on the Davey O’Brien Award watch list. The 2020 season wasn’t exactly a banner season for Penn State’s quarterback. Clifford was intercepted nine times in nine games last season and at one point in the year was replaced as the starter, although that lasted just one game before Clifford returned to the starting lineup.

The players on the watch list are deserving of being on the watch list. Among the 30 players are 12 semifinalists from last season, three of which are two-time semifinalists (D’Eriq King of Miami, McKenzie Milton of Florida State, and Brock Purdy of Iowa State).

There is reason to expect a good season from Clifford, who is entering his third season as Penn State’s starting quarterback. He’ll do so having grown and matured from his benching in 2020 and with a new offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in Mike Yurcich.

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson and safety Jaquan Brisker were recently named to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and Chuck Bednarik Award, respectively.

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Maxwell Football Club names pair of Nittany Lions to watch lists

Penn State’s top two players were named to a pair of top college football award watch lists by the Maxwell Football Club.

Watch list season stepped into full swing on Monday with the release of watch lists for two of the top individual awards in college football. The Maxwell Football Club released its watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award, and a pair of Penn State players made the initial cut.

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson was among those named to the Maxwell Award watch list. The Maxwell Award is awarded to the nation’s top college football player by the Maxwell Football Club.

Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker was included among those named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Bednarik Award is awarded to the nation’s top defensive player in college football.

Penn State has a storied history of Maxwell Award winners. Penn State is tied with Notre Dame for the most all-time Maxwell Award winners. Former Penn State running back Larry Johnson is the most recent recipient of the award from Penn State in 2002. Other former Penn State Maxwell Award winners include Kerry Collins (1994), Chuck Fusina (1978), John Cappelletti (1973), Mike Reid (1969), Glenn Ressler (1964), and Richie Liucas (1959).

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith won the Maxwell Award for the 2020 season.

Penn State has also seen a handful of Bednarik Award winners since first being awarded in 1995. Former linebacker LaVar Arrington was the first Bednarik Award winner from Happy Valley in 1999. Paul Posluszny won the award in back-to-back seasons in 2005 and 2006. He remains one of two back-to-back winners of the award, joining current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald won the award each of its first two seasons of being awarded in 1995 and 1996). Dan Connor won the award in 2007 to make it three consecutive years for a Penn State player winning the Bednarik Award. No school has matched that feat.

Tulsa’s Zaven Collins won the Bednarik Award for the 2020 season.

Dotson and Brisker will get their first chances to make some noteworthy highlights on September 4 when Penn State opens the 2021 season at Wisconsin in a Big Ten opener.