We continue the march of the college football preseason watch lists with the announcement for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy that goes to the best defensive player in the country annually. The first installment of the trophy was handed out in 1993 by the Football Writers Association of America and has continued ever since.
Of the 94 names appearing on the 2023 watch list, three of them are Ohio State players. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, and safety Lathan Ransom — three of OSU’s seasoned leaders — were all recognized.
It says a lot that all three of these guys represent three different spots on the football field. If each has a season as everyone expects, that would mean a pretty special player on the defensive line, middle of the field at linebacker, and on the back end.
Ninety-four standout defenders featured on 2023 @NagurskiTrophy Watch List: https://t.co/IUc5HYbnvm pic.twitter.com/YIXyCFnpPD
— Football Writers Association of America (@TheFWAA) August 1, 2023
There have been two Ohio State players take the award home. Linebacker James Laurinaitis did it in 2006, and game-wrecking edge rusher, Chase Young, took the award home in 2019. We’ll continue to keep you up to speed on all the Buckeyes that make these preseason watch lists.
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