The 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list has a distinct SEC flavor.
The SEC placed 27 players on the list, more than twice as many as any other conference -- the Big Ten and Pac-12 placed 13 each -- for the award presented to the nation's top defensive player. Some of the most notable SEC players included among 70 total selections include Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett, LSU DB Jamal Adams, Alabama DE Jonathan Allen, Missouri DE Charles Harris, Florida CB Jalen Tabor and UF LB Jarrad Davis.
Temple LB Tyler Matakevich and Arizona LB Scooby Wright, both seventh-round picks in this year's NFL draft, have won the Nagurski Trophy the past two years.
The Nagurski Trophy winner will be announced on Dec. 5, and five finalists will be announced on Nov. 17, chosen from the FWAA All-America team.
Other top defenders selected to the watch list: USC CB Adoree' Jackson, Iowa CB Desmond King, FSU safety Derwin James, Michigan defender Jabrill Peppers, Ohio State LB Raekwon McMillan and Michigan State DL Malik McDowell.
Watch lists for other awards will be released this month as follows:
July 5: Bednarik Award / Maxwell Award
July 6: Mackey Award / Rimington Trophy
July 7: Lou Groza Award / Ray Guy Award
July 8: Bronko Nagurski Trophy / Outland Trophy
July 11: Jim Thorpe Award
July 12: Butkus Award
July 13: Biletnikoff Award / Wuerffel Trophy
July 14: Davey O'Brien Award / Doak Walker Award
July 15: Walter Camp Award / Paul Hornung Award
2016 Nagurski Trophy watch list
Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn
Jamal Adams, S, LSU
Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado
Budda Baker, S, Washington
Dante Barnett, S, Kansas State
Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
Kendell Beckwith, LB, LSU
Vince Biegel, LB, Wisconsin
Quin Blanding, S, Virginia
Ben Boulware, LB, Clemson
Richie Brown, LB, Mississippi State
Riley Bullough, LB, Michigan State
Josh Carraway, DE, TCU
Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia
Tony Conner, S, Ole Miss
Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt
Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
Hunter Dimick, DE, Utah
Ken Ekanem, DE, Virginia Tech
Devonte Fields, LB Louisville
Salamo Fiso, LB, Arizona State
Kylie Fitts, DE, Utah
Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
Davon Godchaux, DT, LSU
Daeshon Hall, DE, Texas A&M
Darius Hamilton, DT, Rutgers
Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
Josh Harvey-Clemons, DB, Louisville
Marquis Haynes, DE, Ole Miss
Treyvon Hester, DT, Toledo
Travin Howard, LB, TCU
Shane Huber, LB, Massachusetts
Marlon Humphrey, DB, Alabama
Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC
Eddie Jackson, S, Alabama
Derwin James, S, Florida State
Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas
Josey Jewell, LB, Iowa
Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
Andrew King, LB, Army
Desmond King, CB, Iowa
Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia
Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn
Elijah Lee, LB, Kansas State
Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan
Tyquan Lewis, DE, Ohio State
William Likely, CB, Maryland
Lowell Lotulelei, DT, Utah
Shawun Lurry, DB, Northern Illinois
Jamal Marcus, DE, Akron
Marcus Maye, DB, Florida
Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State
Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio State
Fabian Moreau, DB, UCLA
Calvin Munson, LB, San Diego State
Lewis Neal, DE, LSU
Hardy Nickerson, LB, Illinois
Steven Parker, DB, Oklahoma
Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
Ejuan Price, DE, Pittsburgh
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB, Tennessee
T.J. Ricks, LB, Old Dominion
Isaac Rochell, DT, Notre Dame
Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, DE, Arkansas State
Duke Shelley, DB, Kansas State
Cameron Smith, LB, USC
Weston Steelhammer, DB, Air Force
Jordan Sterns, S, Oklahoma State
Jamar Summers, CB, Connecticut
Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee
Jalen Tabor, CB, Florida
Cordrea Tankersley, CB, Clemson
Steven Taylor, LB, Houston
Ahmad Thomas, DB, Oklahoma
Tanner Vallejo, LB, Boise State
Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA
Azeem Victor, LB, Washington
Anthony Walker, LB, Northwestern
Charles Walker, DT, Oklahoma
DeMarcus Walker, DE, Florida State
Carlos Watkins, DT, Clemson
Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
Jordan Whitehead, S, Pittsburgh
Marcus Williams, DB, Utah
Tim Williams, LB, Alabama
Deatrich Wise, DE, Arkansas
Xavier Woods, DB, Louisiana Tech
Chris Wormley, DE, Michigan
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