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2023 Football Preseason Watch Lists

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2023 Football Preseason Watch Lists

Watch List Release Dates

Maxwell – July 31
Outland – Aug. 1
Bronko Nagurski – Aug. 1
Ray Guy – Aug. 2
Wuerffel – Aug. 3
Mackey – Aug. 4
Mannely – Aug. 6
Biletnikoff – Aug. 7
Davey O’Brien – Aug. 8
Doak Walker – Aug. 9
Butkus – Aug. 10
Walter Camp – Aug. 11
Bednarik – Aug. 14
Manning – Aug. 15
Lombardi – Aug. 15

Lombardi Trophy

Manning Award

Bednarik Award

Walter Camp Award

Butkus Award

BATON ROUGE – LSU linebackers Harold Perkins and Omar Speights are among 51 preseason candidates selected to the watch list for the Butkus Award.

The Butkus Award is presented annually to the top linebacker in college football. LSU is one of seven schools nationally with two players on the list as they are joined by Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Ohio State. Former Tiger Devin White won the Butkus Award in 2018.

Perkins, a freshman All-America and a first-team All-SEC selection last year, is one college football’s top playmakers on defense. As a rookie in 2022, the New Orleans native led the Tigers in tackles for loss (13.0) and sacks (7.5).

Perkins earned weekly SEC honors in three straight games – all LSU wins – a year ago. He earned SEC Freshman of the Week recognition following his six-tackle, two-quarterback hurry, one-sack performance in the win over Ole Miss.

Perkins followed that with back-to-back SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in wins over Alabama and Arkansas. In the win over the Crimson Tide, Perkins had eight tackles, three quarterback hurries and a sack.

He had one of the best all-around games for a defender in school history in the win over Arkansas with eight tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles. He was also named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his play against the Razorbacks.

In addition to his success on the field, Perkins earned SEC Academic Honor Roll status last season for his accomplishments in the classroom.

Speights joined the Tigers during the spring after starting for four years at Oregon State where he earned first-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2022 and was a Freshman All-America in 2019.

Speights, a graduate transfer, comes to LSU with 308 career tackles to go along with 25.0 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Doak Walker Award

BATON ROUGE – LSU senior running backs Noah Cain and Josh Williams have been listed as preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award, the SMU Athletic Forum announced on Wednesday.

The Doak Walker Award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate running back.

Williams, who is also a candidate for the Wuerffel Trophy, led all LSU running backs in rushing yards a year ago with 532 yards and six touchdowns on 97 carries. He had 100-yard rushing games in wins over Florida and Arkansas.

Cain, a transfer from Penn State, rushed for 409 yards and 10 TDs last year in what was his first season with the Tigers. Cain scored three TDs in the win over UAB and capped his first season at LSU with a pair of touchdowns in the Citrus Bowl win over Purdue.

Cain and Williams are both playing their senior seasons as college graduates. Cain graduated from Penn State with a degree in communications, while Williams earned his LSU degree in marketing.

Davey O’Brien Award

BATON ROUGE – LSU standout quarterback Jayden Daniels had his name added to a second watch list on Tuesday as the senior is one of 35 players who have been named to Davey O’Brien Award Watch List.

Last week, Daniels was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, which is given to the most outstanding player in college football.

The Davey O’Brien Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow won the Davey O’Brien Award in 2019.

Daniels enters his second season with the Tigers after leading LSU to a 10-4 mark and the SEC Western Division title in 2022. Daniels set LSU records for rushing yards (885) and rushing TDs (11) by a quarterback in 2022 and he was one of only two players nationally to rush for 800 yards and throw for at least 2,500 yards.

Daniels’ 3,798 yards of total offense last year ranks second to only Burrow in school history. He also became the first LSU quarterback to rush and pass for three TDs in a game decided in regulation doing so in the win over Florida.

A preseason All-SEC selection, Daniels enters his final season with the Tigers having thrown for 8,938 yards and 49 touchdowns in his college career, three of which were spent at the starting quarterback at Arizona State.

Biletnikoff Award

BATON ROUGE – Malik Nabers, who led the SEC in receptions a year ago with 72, has been named to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced on Monday.

The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to college football most outstanding receiver, no matter the position. Any player – receiver, tight end, running back – who catches passes is eligible to win the award. Past LSU winners include Josh Reed in 2001 and Ja’Marr Chase in 2019.

Last year, Nabers became the 10th 1,000-yard receiver in school history when he eclipsed the mark in LSU’s Citrus Bowl win over Purdue. Nabers caught 72 passes for 1,017 yards and three touchdowns. His 1,017 yards ranked second in the SEC.

He earned Citrus Bowl MVP honors after catching a career-best nine passes for 163 yards, including a 75-yard TD, in the 63-7 win over Purdue. He also threw a TD pass in the bowl win over the Boilermakers.

In 25 career games, Nabers has 100 receptions for 1,437 yards and seven touchdowns. He caught at least two passes in every game a year ago and has caught at least one pass in 18 consecutive games.

Mannely Award

Mackey Award

BATON ROUGE – Mason Taylor, who set LSU freshman records as a tight end last year, has been named to the watch list for the Mackey Award.

The John Mackey Award is presented annually to the most outstanding tight end in college football.

In his first season with the Tigers, Taylor set LSU freshman records for receptions (38) and receiving yards (414) by a tight end. He caught three touchdown passes and will long be remembered for his two-point conversion that beat Alabama in overtime in Tiger Stadium.

Taylor started 13 games and caught at least one pass in all but one game. He had a career-best six receptions against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and followed that with a career-high 88 receiving yards against Purdue in the Citrus Bowl.

Taylor, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, earned Freshman All-SEC honors and was selected as the SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance against Alabama.

Taylor also excels in the classroom as well, earning SEC Academic Honor Roll distinction in 2022 as a general business major.

Wuerffel Trophy

BATON ROUGE – LSU senior running back Josh Williams has been named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, the Wuerffel Foundation announced on Thursday.

The Wuerffel Trophy is college football’s premier award for community service and one of the most meaningful awards in collegiate sports. The trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in 1996 who parlayed his success on the football field into a lifetime of service.

Former LSU center Rudy Niswanger was the recipient of the first Wuerffel Trophy in 2005.

Williams, a former walk-on during LSU’s national championship season in 2019, has worked his way to becoming a featured part of the LSU offense at running back. A year ago, Williams started six games and led all LSU running backs in rushing yards with 532. He scored six touchdowns, including LSU’s only TD in a 13-10 win over Arkansas. He claimed the Percy E. Roberts Offensive Player of the Year Award for LSU following the 2022 season.

Off the field, Williams graduated in May with a 3.4 grade point average in marketing. He’s currently pursuing a master’s of business administration. A three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Williams is involved in many community service activities and was one of 11 LSU players who traveled to Senegal in May for a study abroad program.

Last year at LSU’s annual “Tribute”, the graduation exercise for student-athletes, Williams delivered the keynote speech.

Williams enters his final season with the Tigers having rushed for 727 yards and six touchdowns. He had a career-high 118 yards against Arkansas in 2022. He also rushed for 106 yards in the win over Florida a year ago.

Ray Guy Award

BATON ROUGE – LSU senior punter Jay Bramblett has been named to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, the Augusta Sports Council announced on Tuesday.

The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to top punter in college football.

Bramblett, in his second year at LSU after transferring from Notre Dame, brings a 44.2 career punting average into the 2023 season. A second-team Academic All-America in 2022, Bramblett averaged 44.5 yards on 49 punts in his first season with the Tigers.

Bramblett’s 44.5 average last year ranked as the seventh-best single-season total in school history. He ranked No. 2 in the SEC and No. 11 nationally in punting average in 2022.

A graduate of Notre Dame, Bramblett is pursuing a master’s degree at LSU in leadership and human resource development. He was named to the National Football Foundation’s Hampshire Honor Society during the spring.

Bronko Nagurski Trophy

BATON ROUGE – A pair of LSU defensive standouts in Harold Perkins and Mekhi Wingo have been named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Football Writers Association of America announced on Tuesday.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player. Former Tiger All-America Glenn Dorsey won the award in 2007.

Wingo, a junior defensive tackle from St. Louis, is appearing on a preseason watch list for the second time as he’s also been named to the Outland Trophy list.

In his first year at LSU in 2022, Wingo anchored the defensive front, recording 47 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and three sacks. He was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after his 7-tackle, 1.5-sack performance in the win over Ole Miss.

Wingo later went on to earn third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press and was selected second-team All-SEC.

Perkins, a sophomore linebacker from New Orleans, proved to be a game-wreaker for the Tigers last year as a true freshman. Perkins was twice named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his play in wins over Alabama and Arkansas and earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors against Ole Miss.

In the 13-10 win over Arkansas, Perkins recorded three sacks resulting in 27-yards in losses and forced two fumbles as he was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.

He capped his rookie season with 72 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He added 14 quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles and an interception on his way to earning first-team All-SEC honors. He was also named Freshman All-America by the Football Writers Association of America.

Outland Trophy

BATON ROUGE – A trio of LSU interior linemen – Will Campbell, Emery Jones, and Mekhi Wingo – have been named to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, the Football Writers Association of America announced on Tuesday.

LSU is one of six schools nationally with at least three players on the list as they are joined by Michigan (4), Georgia (3), Alabama (3), Utah (3), and Ohio State (3).

The Outland Trophy, now in its 78th year, annually recognizes the outstanding interior lineman in college football. LSU great Glenn Dorsey won the award in 2007.

Campbell and Jones are both returning starters on the offensive line for the Tigers. The duo combined to start 25 games in 2022, becoming the first set of true freshmen in LSU history to serve as starting offensive tackles in the same season.

Campbell, from Monroe, earned second-team All-SEC honors last year as well as being named a Freshman All-America by Walter Camp. He played every offensive snap in the eight SEC games in which he appeared.

Jones, a Baton Rouge native, took over at right tackle three games into the 2022 season and rarely came off the field on his way to earning Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC honors.

Wingo, from St. Louis, Missouri, anchored the LSU defensive front in 2022, registering 47 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and three sacks. He earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press as well as being a second-team All-SEC selection.

Maxwell Award

BATON ROUGE – LSU standouts Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers are among 85 players nationally who have been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List for the 2023 season, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday.

The Maxwell Award has been presented annually for 86 years to the outstanding player in college football. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow won the award in 2019.

Daniels enters his second season with the Tigers after leading LSU to a 10-4 mark and the SEC Western Division title in 2022. Daniels set LSU records for rushing yards (885) and rushing TDs (11) by a quarterback in 2022 and he was one of only two players nationally to rush for 800 yards and throw for at least 2,500 yards.

Daniels’ 3,798 yards of total offense last year ranks second to only Burrow in school history. He also became the first LSU quarterback to rush and pass for 3 TDs in a game decided in regulation doing so in the win over Florida.

A preseason All-SEC selection, Daniels enters his final season with the Tigers having thrown for 8,938 yards and 49 touchdowns in his college career, three of which were spent at the starting quarterback at Arizona State.

Nabers, also a preseason All-SEC selection, is coming off the 12th 1,000-yard receiving season in school history. Nabers led the SEC in receptions (72) and ranked No. 2 in the league in receiving yards (1,017) last year as a sophomore.

Nabers enters his junior season with 100 career receptions for 1,437 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Maxwell Award is the first 16 national award watch lists that will be announced over the next two weeks.

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