DALLAS (FWAA) – 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 watch list roster includes last year’s winner, Xavier Watts of Notre Dame, plus five other players returning from last season’s FWAA All-America team. Two of the top three tacklers from last season, both All-Americans, are back in the mix along with three of the top five interception leaders and six secondary players who had at least five interceptions last year.
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2024 trophy on Nov. 20 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 9 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.
Watts, who tied for the national lead with seven interceptions in 2023 as a first-team All-America safety, headlines the All-Americans as the returning honoree. Georgia safety Malaki Starks, a Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist last season, is also back from the first team following a season where he was Georgia’s fourth-leading tackler and had seven PBU’s. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins, third in the nation in tackles per game at 12.2, was also on the first team last season.
Two two-time All-Americans top the list as well. Jason Henderson, a two-time All-America linebacker at Old Dominion, is featured returning from the second team along with two-time defensive tackle Howard Cross III of Notre Dame. Liberty safety Brylan Green is the other returning All-American. There are 22 linebackers on the watch list, the most at any position, with Higgins and Henderson leading the way. The ODU senior led the nation in tackles per game last year at 14.2 and is 142 total tackles away from the NCAA record as he heads into the 2024 season. Green, who tied for sixth in the nation with five interceptions last year, is one of 16 safeties, tied for second-most at any position.
Ohio State is tops among all programs with four selections that include one of the offseason’s top transfer players in Caleb Downs, coming in from Alabama. Downs, a safety, anchors the Buckeyes’ secondary along with cornerback Denzel Burke. Defensive end JT Tuimoloau and defensive tackle Tyleik Williams are Ohio State’s lineman from the list. Iowa ties Georgia for second among the teams with three selections – Higgins and fellow linebacker Nick Jackson along with cornerback Sebastian Castro. Besides Starks, Georgia has linebacker Smael Mondon and defensive end Mykel Williams represented.
Defending national champion Michigan has defensive tackle Mason Graham on the list to go with cornerback Will Johnson. There are nine Big Ten schools represented within the 16-man contingent from that conference. Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan and Oregon (two) have 11 of the 16 spots. Other standouts are Dillon Thiernemann of Purdue, who tied for second nationally with six interceptions last year, and Wisconsin linebacker Hunter Wohler, tied for 21st in the FBS with 9.2 tackles per game.
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 Thienemann 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.
As a list by conference, beyond the SEC and Big Ten are a dozen players from the Big 12. Oklahoma State’s premier linebacking pair of Nick Martin and Collin Oliver are on the list – Martin was 15th nationally in total tackles last year with 10.0 per game – and Big 12 newcomer Arizona also has a duo in cornerback Tacario Davis and linebacker Jacob Manu. Much-heralded cornerback Travis Hunter of Colorado makes the list, and Iowa State lists both its safeties in Jeremiah Cooper, who had five picks last year, and Beau Freyler. Utah’s Junior Tafuna is regarded as one of the country’s best defensive tackles.
The ACC has seven players represented followed by the American (5), Mountain West (4), Sun Belt (4), Conference USA (3), Mid-American (3), Independents (2). There is not a selection from the two Pac-12 programs.
Ashton Gillotte of Louisville, another premier pass rusher with 11.0 sacks from 2023, is one of two players back from last year’s All-ACC First Team along Virginia safety Jonas Sanker. Miami linebacker Francisco Mauigoa tied for ninth nationally with 1.4 TFL’s per game in 2023. Clemson defensive end Peter Woods is the only member from last season’s FWAA Freshman All-America team.
Among other leaders, Boise State defensive end Ahmed Hassanein was sixth nationally last season with 12.5 total sacks and Miami (Ohio) linebacker Matt Salopek was 12th in the FBS with 143 tackles last season.
By position, the list includes 22 linebackers, 16 defensive ends, 16 safeties, 12 defensive tackles and nine cornerbacks.
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.
