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Multiple Notre Dame players included on Nagurski Award, Outland Trophy watch lists

On3 imageby:Patrick Engel•07/26/22•

PatrickEngel_

On3 image
(Chad Weaver/Blue & Gold)

Watch list season is in full swing – with Notre Dame players appearing on at least one list daily.

Four Irish players made preseason candidate lists for two national awards Tuesday. Defensive end Isaiah Foskey and safety Brandon Joseph are among the 85 names on the watch list for the Nagurski Award, which goes to the best defensive player in college football. Offensive linemen Josh Lugg and Jarrett Patterson are two of the 89 preseason nominees for the Outland Trophy, given annually to the best interior lineman on either side of the ball.

The Nagurski is the first watch list appearance this year for Foskey, though he is likely to appear on the Bednarik Award’s list when it is released Aug. 1. That trophy also goes to the country’s best defender. Lugg also had not made a watch list until Tuesday. He is transitioning to guard after starting 12 games at right tackle in 2021. All told, he has made 20 starts at three positions in his first five years Notre Dame.

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Patterson was previously named a preseason candidate for the Rimington Award, which goes to the country’s best center, but he will open fall camp as Notre Dame’s starting left guard. He started 34 games at center from 2019-21.

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Joseph was named a candidate for the Thorpe Award, which is presented to the nation’s best defensive back. He was a semifinalist for it in 2020 at Northwestern, when he tied for the national lead with six interceptions and earned consensus All-American honors.

Linebacker Manti Te’o (2012) is the only Notre Dame player to win the Nagurski Award since its creation in 1993.  Three Irish defenders have claimed the Outland Trophy since it was first awarded in 1946: offensive tackle George Connor (1946), two-way lineman Bill Fischer (1948) and defensive end Ross Browner (1979).

Watch lists to include Notre Dame players

Nagurski Award (best defensive player): Joseph, Foskey

Outland Trophy (best interior lineman): Patterson, Lugg

Butkus Award (best linebacker): JD Bertrand

Thorpe Award (best defensive back): Joseph

Mackey Award (best tight end): Michael Mayer

Rimington Award (best center): Patterson

Biletnikoff Award (best receiver): Mayer

Doak Walker Award (best running back): Chris Tyree

Maxwell Award (best player): Mayer

Allstate Good Works Team: Bertrand

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