The Football Writers Association of America released its 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List today, selecting 75 defensive standouts from 56 schools in nine Division I FBS conferences plus Independents as contenders for the national defensive player of the year.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given to the best defensive player in college football. By position, the list includes 22 linebackers, 16 defensive ends, 16 safeties, 12 defensive tackles, and nine cornerbacks.
Georgia’s three leads the SEC’s conference-leading 19 overall selections buoyed by two apiece from Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. The SEC’s new members blend right in with two apiece on the list. Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman tied Thieneman with six picks in 2023 and joins Sooners playmaking linebacker Danny Stutsman, who was 15th in tackles for loss last season averaging 1.3 per game. Texas sports safety Jahdae Barron and linebacker Anthony Hill. Twelve different SEC schools have a player on the list, including three of the nation’s best pass rushers on the ends in Texas A&M defensive end and Purdue transfer Nick Scourton (0.91 sacks/gm, 6th in FBS), Tennessee’s James Pearce (10.0 total sacks, 11th in FBS) and LSU linebacker Harold Perkins.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given to the best defensive player in college football. By position, the list includes 22 linebackers, 16 defensive ends, 16 safeties, 12 defensive tackles, and nine cornerbacks.
| 2024 BRONKO NAGURSKI PRESEASON WATCH LIST (75) | ||
| DT Bear Alexander, USC | LB Anthony Hill, Texas | LB Harold Perkins, LSU |
| S Jahdae Barron, Texas | S Maxen Hook, Toledo | LB Colin Ramos, Navy |
| LB Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon | S Jack Howell, Colorado State | CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina |
| DE Tyler Batty, BYU | DT Lee Hunter, UCF | DE Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina |
| LB CJ Bazile, Liberty | CB Travis Hunter, Colorado | LB Matt Salopek, Miami (Ohio) |
| S Billy Bowman, Oklahoma | DE Landon Jackson, Arkansas | S Jonas Sanker, Virginia |
| CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas | LB Nick Jackson, Iowa | DE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M |
| CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State | DT Patrick Jenkins, Tulane | S Malaki Starks, Georgia |
| DE Abdul Carter, Penn State | LB Nate Johnson, App State | LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma |
| CB Sebastian Castro, Iowa | CB Will Johnson, Michigan | DT Junior Tafuna, Utah |
| S Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State | S Ike Larsen, Utah State | S Dillon Thieneman, Purdue |
| DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati | LB Deontae Lawson, Alabama | DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State |
| DT Howard Cross III, Notre Dame | LB Jacob Manu, Arizona | DE Shemar Turner, Texas A&M |
| CB Tacario Davis, Arizona | LB Chandler Martin, Memphis | S Jaden Voisin, South Alabama |
| S Caleb Downs, Ohio State | LB Nick Martin, Oklahoma State | DT Deone Walker, Kentucky |
| DE Joe Evans, UTSA | LB Francisco Mauigoa, Miami | DE Johnny Walker, Missouri |
| DT Joshua Farmer, Florida State | LB Smael Mondon, Georgia | LB Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern |
| S Beau Freyler, Iowa State | S Malachi Moore, Alabama | S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame |
| DE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville | LB Xander Mueller, Northwestern | DE Maurice Westmoreland, UTEP |
| DT Mason Graham, Michigan | CB Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon | LB Debo Williams, South Carolina |
| S Brylan Green, Liberty | DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss | DE Mykel Williams, Georgia |
| CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky | DE CJ Nunnally IV, Akron | DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State |
| DE Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State | LB Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State | S Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin |
| LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion | DE James Pearce, Tennessee | LB Jackson Woodard, UNLV |
| LB Jay Higgins, Iowa | DT Aeneas Peeples, Virginia Tech (TR Duke) | DE Peter Woods, Clemson |
Georgia’s three leads the SEC’s conference-leading 19 overall selections buoyed by two apiece from Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. The SEC’s new members blend right in with two apiece on the list. Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman tied Thieneman with six picks in 2023 and joins Sooners playmaking linebacker Danny Stutsman, who was 15th in tackles for loss last season averaging 1.3 per game. Texas sports safety Jahdae Barron and linebacker Anthony Hill. Twelve different SEC schools have a player on the list, including three of the nation’s best pass rushers on the ends in Texas A&M defensive end and Purdue transfer Nick Scourton (0.91 sacks/gm, 6th in FBS), Tennessee’s James Pearce (10.0 total sacks, 11th in FBS) and LSU linebacker Harold Perkins.
