Desmond King of Iowa, Shawun Lurry of Northern Illinois and Myles Garrett of Texas A&M headline the 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List that includes 88 defensive standouts from all 10 Division I FBS conferences. King, Lurry and Garrett are the returning first-team Football Writers Association of America All-Americans.
The watch list also . . .
MAC Players currently on the preseason watch list:
Treyvon Hester (DT, Toledo)
Shawun Lurry (DB, Northern Illinois)
Jamal Marcus (DE, Akron)
Complete list:
Montravius Adams, Auburn, DT
Elijah Lee, Kansas State, LB
Jamal Adams, LSU, DB
Jourdan Lewis, Michigan, DB
Jonathan Allen, Alabama, DE
Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State, DE
Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado, DB
William Likely, Maryland, DB
Budda Baker, Washington, DB
Lowell Lotulelei, Utah, DT
Dante Barnett, Kansas State, DB
Shawun Lurry, Northern Illinois, DB
Derek Barnett, Tennessee, DE
Jamal Marcus, Akron, DE
Kendell Beckwith, LSU, LB
Marcus Maye, Florida, DB
Vince Biegel, Wisconsin, LB
Malik McDowell, Michigan State, DT
Quin Blanding, Virginia, DB
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State
Ben Boulware, Clemson, LB
Fabian Moreau, UCLA, DB
Richie Brown, Mississippi State, LB
Calvin Munson, San Diego State, LB
Riley Bullough, Michigan State, LB
Lewis Neal, LSU, DE
Josh Carraway, TCU, DE
Hardy Nickerson, Illinois, LB
Lorenzo Carter, Georgia, LB
Steven Parker, Oklahoma, DB
Tony Conner, Ole Miss, DB
Jabrill Peppers, Michigan, LB
Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt, LB
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee, LB
Jarrad Davis, Florida, LB TJ Ricks, Old Dominion, LB
Hunter Dimick, Utah, DE
saac Rochell, Notre Dame, DE
Ken Ekanem, Virginia Tech, DE
Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State, DE
Devonte Fields, Louisville, DE Duke Shelley, Kansas State, DB
Salamo Fiso, Arizona State, LB
Cameron Smith, USC, LB
Kylie Fitts, Utah, DE Weston Steelhammer, Air Force, DB
Reuben Foster, Alabama, LB
Jordan Sterns, Oklahoma State, DB
Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, DE
Jamar Summers, UConn, DB
Davon Godchaux, LSU, DT Cameron Sutton, Tennessee, DB
Daeshon Hall, Texas A&M, DE
Jalen Tabor, Florida, DB
Charles Harris, Missouri, DE
Cordrea Tankersley, Clemson, DB
Josh Harvey-Clemons, Louisville, DB Steven Taylor, Houston, LB
Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss, DE
Ahmad Thomas, Oklahoma, DB
Treyvon Hester, Toledo, DT
Tanner Vallejo, Boise State, LB
Travin Howard, TCU, LB Eddie Vanderdoes, UCLA, DT
Shane Huber, Massachusetts, LB
Azeem Victor, Washington, LB
Marlon Humphrey, Alabama, DB
Anthony Walker Jr., Northwestern, LB
Adoreé Jackson, USC, DB
Charles Walker, Oklahoma, DE
Eddie Jackson, Alabama
DeMarcus Walker, Florida State, DE
Derwin James, Florida State, DB
Carlos Watkins, Clemson, DT
Malik Jefferson, Texas, LB
Tre'Davious White, LSU, DB
Josey Jewell, Iowa, LB
Jordan Whitehead, Pittsburgh, DB
Sidney Jones, Washington, DB
Marcus Williams, Utah, DB
Andrew King, Army, LB
Tim Williams, Alabama, LB
Desmond King, Iowa, DB
Deatrich Wise Jr., Arkansas, DE
Micah Kiser, Virginia, LB
Xavier Woods, Louisiana Tech, DB
Carl Lawson, Auburn, DE
Chris Wormley, Michigan, DE
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. Once again, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week from early September through mid November. If not already on the watch list, the honored player will be added at that time. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Thurs., Nov. 17.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five finalists who are part of the 2016 FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's entire membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner, the best defensive player in college football.