The Football Writers Association of America released its 2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List today, selecting 97 defensive standouts from 61 schools in all 10 Division I FBS conferences on a roster that includes three returning players from last season’s FWAA All-America team.
Ed Oliver, a junior tackle from the University of Houston and a Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist a year ago, joins senior Clemson end Austin Bryant and junior end Sutton Smith of Northern Illinois as returning selections from the 2017 FWAA All-America first team.
Oliver, the 2017 Outland Trophy winner as the nation’s best interior lineman, is a two-time FWAA All-American after earning second-team mention in 2016. This year’s watch list for the nation’s top defensive player also includes LSU linebacker Devin White and Clemson end Clelin Ferrell, both second-team FWAA All-America selections a year ago, as well as Clemson tackle Christian Wilkins, a 2016 FWAA All-America first team member.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 14.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
This year’s watch list includes at least four players from each of the 10 FBS conferences. The SEC (16) leads the 97-member list with the Big Ten (15) right behind. The ACC (13) and Pac-12 (12) also have double-digit representation, followed by the Big 12 (9), American Athletic and Mountain West (7), Conference USA and Independents (5), and the Mid-American and Sun Belt (4).
The list includes 27 backs, 26 linebackers, 24 ends and 20 tackles.
2018 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (97)
LB Dakota Allen, Texas Tech
DE Zach Allen, Boston College
LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Florida Atlantic
DB Dravon Askew-Henry, West Virginia
LB Joe Bachie, Michigan State
DE Ben Banogu, TCU
DT Terry Beckner Jr., Missouri
DT Ryan Bee, Marshall
DB Julian Blackmon, Utah
DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State
DB Kris Boyd, Texas
DT Derrick Brown, Auburn
DB Blace Brown, Troy
DE Austin Bryant, Clemson
LB Ben Burr-Kirven, Washington
LB Devin Bush, Michigan
DB T.J. Carter, Memphis
DB Justin Clifton, Arkansas State
LB Te’von Coney, Notre Dame
DT Marquise Copeland, Cincinnati
DE Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan
DE Marlon Davidson, Auburn
DE Raekwon Davis, Alabama
DB Lukas Denis, Boston College
DB D’Cota Dixon, Wisconsin
LB Tyrel Dodson, Texas A&M
DE Landis Durham, Texas A&M
LB Troy Dye, Oregon
LB Cooper Edmiston, Tulsa
DB Mike Edwards, Kentucky
LB T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin
DE Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech
DE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
LB Paddy Fisher, Northwestern
DT Greg Gaines, Washington
DE Rashan Gary, Michigan
DE Joe Gaziano, Northwestern
DT Youhanna Ghaifan, Wyoming
DB Kyle Gibson, UCF
DB Mark Gilbert, Duke
LB Ulysees Gilbert III, Akron
LB Joe Giles-Harris, Duke
DE Carl Granderson, Wyoming
LB Terez Hall, Missouri
LB De’Jon Harris, Arkansas
DB Tae Hayes, Appalachian State
DB Lavert Hill, Michigan
DT Trysten Hill, UCF
LB Khalil Hodge, Buffalo
DB Tyler Horton, Boise State
LB Khaleke Hudson, Michigan
DB Michael Jackson, Miami
DE Cece Jefferson, Florida
DE Jalen Jelks, Oregon
DB Jaquan Johnson, Miami
DT Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State
DE Corbin Kaufusi, BYU
LB Jordan Kunaszyk, California
DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson
DE Jonathan Ledbetter, Georgia
DT Ira Lewis, Baylor
DB Shelton Lewis, Florida Atlantic
DT Ray Lima, Iowa State
LB David Long Jr., West Virginia
DB Julian Love, Notre Dame
DB Chase Lucas, Arizona State
DT David Moa, Boise State
LB James Nachtigal, Army West Point
DE Anthony Nelson, Iowa
DT Ed Oliver, Houston
DB Amani Oruwariye, Penn State
LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami
DB Delvon Randall, Temple
DB Taylor Rapp, Washington
DE Christian Rector, USC
LB Malik Reed, Nevada
LB David Reese, Florida
DE Hunter Reese, Troy
DT Olive Sagapolu, Wisconsin
DT Jordon Scott, Oregon
DB Duke Shelley, Kansas State
DT Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State
LB Cameron Smith, USC
DE Sutton Smith, NIU
DE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
LB Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii
DB Marvell Tell III, USC
DB Juan Thornhill, Virginia
DT Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame
DT Ricky Walker, Virginia Tech
LB Devin White, LSU
DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson
DB Greedy Williams, LSU
DB Andrew Wingard, Wyoming
DE Chase Winovich, Michigan
DT Daniel Wise, Kansas
DE Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion
By conference: SEC 16, Big Ten 15, ACC 13, Pac-12 12, Big 12 9, American Athletic 7, Mountain West 7, Conference USA 5, Independents 5, Mid-American 4, Sun Belt 4.
By position: Backs 27, Linebackers 26, Ends 24, Tackles 20.
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