Preseason watch list reaction: Nagurski Award, Outland Trophy
AT A GLANCE
OU players on the lists:
• CB Demontre Hurst
• S Tony Jefferson
• LB Tom Wort
• C Ben Habern
• Gabe Ikard
2012 watch lists
The Daily's picks for which players will appear on the following college football preseason watch lists:
• Maxwell Award
• Bednarik Award
• Mackey Award
• Rimington Trophy
• Lou Groza Award
• Ray Guy Award
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy
• Outland Trophy
• Jim Thorpe Award
• Butkus Award
• Rotary Lombardi Award
• Biletnikoff Award
• Davey O'Brien Award
• Doak Walker Award
• Walter Camp Award
Earlier this summer, we published our own preseason watch lists for all of the major college football awards. The official lists are now being released, so Daily sports reporters will offer their reactions. Released today: the Bronko Nagurski Award and the Outland Trophy.
BRONKO NAGURSKI AWARD
Tobi Neidy, senior football writer: After seeing five Sooners on today's two award watch lists, it's clear Oklahoma fans have something to look forward to for this upcoming football season. The Sooners may have lost some key players to graduation on defense, but look for today's award watch list nominees — Tom Wort, Tony Jefferson and Demontre Hurst — to pick up the slack this year.
Dillon Phillips, assistant sports editor: Oklahoma junior middle linebacker Tom Wort’s name finally appeared on a preseason watch list, as Wort and two other OU defenders — junior safety Tony Jefferson and senior cornerback Demontre Hurst — were named to the Bronko Nagurski Award watch list. Fellow Big 12 school Iowa State also had a strong presence on the list, receiving nominations for a pair of senior linebackers — Jake Knott and A.J. Klein.
Kedric Kitchens, sports editor: There are a lot of impressive players on the list. I think it will be one of the harder awards to choose this season with the sheer mass of great talent. I was glad to see OU junior linebacker Tom Wort get a nod because I thought he got robbed on past lists. I hope to see him in the upcoming Butkus Award list.
THE OUTLAND TROPHY
Neidy: So far, a Sooner has been named to at least one award list every day this week. Gabe Ikard and Ben Habern represent that well on the offensive line.
Phillips: As expected, Sooners Gabe Ikard and Ben Habern made the list for the nation’s best linemen and account for two of the Big 12’s 12 nominations. The Big 12 ranked second, trailing only the mighty SEC, which had a whopping 19 nominations. The last Oklahoma player to win the award was tackle Jamaal Brown in 2004, but guard Duke Robinson was a finalist in 2008.
Kitchens: The Outland Trophy is always an interesting one for me since it is available to both offensive and defensive lineman. I think the most exciting part of this award will be which side of the ball takes it home. Based on the names attached, my vote will be for the offense.
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