BATON ROUGE – LSU junior running back Leonard Fournette was one of 40 players from across the nation selected to the 2016 Walter Camp Award Watch List as announced Friday by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
The nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade, the Walter Camp Award is presented annually to the player of the year.
Of the 40 players on the watch list, 15 are quarterbacks, 11 are running backs and four are wide receivers. There are also 10 defensive players on the list (five linebackers, five defensive backs and one defensive end).
Fournette was a 2015 Walter Camp First-Team All-America selection after rushing for an LSU single-season record 1,953 yards and 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.
The Walter Camp Award watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in mid-November. The recipient of the 50th edition of the award will be announced live on ESPN SportsCenter on Dec. 8.
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
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
2016 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Watch List
Quarterbacks
J.T. Barrett, Junior, QB, Ohio State
C.J. Beathard, Senior, QB, Iowa
Josh Dobbs, Senior, QB, Tennessee
Luke Falk, Junior, QB, Washington State
Chad Kelly, Senior, QB, Ole Miss
DeShone Kizer, Junior, QB, Notre Dame
Tanner Mangum, Junior, QB, BYU
Baker Mayfield, Senior, QB, Oklahoma #
Nick Mullens, Senior, QB, Southern Miss
Josh Rosen, Sophomore, QB, UCLA
Seth Russell, Senior, QB, Baylor
Brett Rypien, Sophomore, QB, Boise State
Anu Solomon, RS Junior, QB, Arizona
Greg Ward, Senior, QB, Houston
Deshaun Watson, Junior, QB, Clemson *
Running Backs
Nick Chubb, Junior, RB, Georgia
Dalvin Cook, Junior, RB, Florida State *
Leonard Fournette, Junior, RB, LSU #
Royce Freeman, Junior, RB, Oregon
Wayne Gallman, Junior, RB, Clemson
Justin Jackson, Junior, RB, Northwestern
Marlon Mack, Junior, RB, South Florida
Christian McCaffrey, Junior, RB/KR, Stanford *
Samaje Perine, Junior, RB, Oklahoma
Donnel Pumphrey, Senior, RB, San Diego State
Larry Rose, Junior, RB, New Mexico State
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Corey Davis, Senior, WR, Western Michigan
Christian Kirk, Sophomore, WR, Texas A&M
Jordan Leggett, TE, Senior, Clemson *
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Junior, WR, USC
Defense
Myles Garrett, Junior, DE, Texas A&M #
Eddie Jackson, Junior, DB, Alabama *
Derwin James, Sophomore, DB, Florida State
Malik Jefferson, Sophomore, LB, Texas
Desmond King, Senior, DB, Iowa #
Jourdan Lewis, Senior, DB, Michigan *
Shawun Lurry, Junior, DB, Northern Illinois *
Raekwon McMillan, Junior, LB, Ohio State *
Jabrill Peppers, Sophomore, LB, Michigan
Anthony Walker, Junior, LB, Northwestern
# – 2015 Walter Camp First Team All-America selection
* – 2015 Walter Camp Second Team All-America selection