BATON ROUGE – LSU junior running back Leonard Fournette was selected to the 80th annual Maxwell Award Watch List, while senior linebacker Kendell Beckwith, senior cornerback Tre’Davious White and junior safety Jamal Adams were all named to the 22nd annual Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced Tuesday.
The Maxwell Award, named in honor of Robert W. “Tiny” Maxwell, has been given to America’s College Player of the Year since 1937.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995.
This marks the second consecutive season in which Fournette has earned a spot on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list.
Beckwith is also a two-time nominee for the Bednarik Award, and he finished as a semifinalist for the distinguished award in 2015.
A New Orleans, Louisiana native, Fournette was a consensus First-Team All-American in 2015 after he tied or set eight LSU single-season records as a sophomore.
The only player in LSU history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, Fournette shattered the LSU single-season rushing record by running for 1,953 yards and a school-record 22 touchdowns a year ago.
Fournette became the first Southeastern Conference player to lead the nation in rushing with an average 162.8 yards per game in 2015.
A native of Clinton, Louisiana, Beckwith finished second on the team in 2015 with 84 tackles as the starting Mike linebacker. He added 10.0 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks on the season, and he wrapped up the year with a fantastic performance in the Texas Bowl where Beckwith posted eight tackles with 4.0 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks in the win over Texas Tech.
A Shreveport, Louisiana native, White is back for his fourth year as a starting cornerback for the Tigers and his third as the punt returner. A Second-Team All-SEC selection in 2015, White led LSU with seven pass breakups a year ago and finished with 44 tackles, including 30 solo, and he returned 20 punts for 229 yards with a 69-yard touchdown return at Syracuse.
A native of Lewisville, Texas, Adams earned Second-Team All-SEC recognition in 2015 after he led the team with four interceptions, finished third on the squad with 67 tackles and added 5.0 tackles for a loss and six pass breakups.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced Oct. 31, while the three finalists for each award will be unveiled Nov. 21. The winner of the awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 8.
The members of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 12-day period this month. Seventeen of the association’s 22 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.
2016 NCFAA Awards Preseason Watch List Calendar
Tuesday, July 5: Bednarik Award / Maxwell Award
Wednesday, July 6: Mackey Award / Rimington Trophy
Thursday, July 7: Lou Groza Award / Ray Guy Award
Friday, July 8: Bronko Nagurski Trophy / Outland Trophy
Monday, July 11: Jim Thorpe Award
Tuesday, July 12: Butkus Award / Rotary Lombardi Award
Wednesday, July 13: Biletnikoff Award / Wuerffel Trophy
Thursday, July 14: Davey O’Brien Award / Doak Walker Award
Friday, July 15: Walter Camp Award / Paul Hornung Award