Multiple Buckeyes land on preseason watch list for Thorpe Award
COLUMBUS — Ohio State had the best pass defense in the country last season, and nearly every piece of the secondary returns. Oh, and the Buckeyes went out and landed Freshman All-American safety Caleb Downs after he transferred from Alabama.
So it’s clear that this secondary will be dominant again, and the folks making the preseason watch list for the Thorpe Award believe as much. They’ve placed two Buckeyes on the preseason watch list for the Thorpe Award, given annually to the country’s top defensive back.
Senior cornerback Denzel Burke and the aforementioned Downs are included on that watch list.
The Thorpe Award has been handed to the top defensive back in college football each year since 1986. Two Buckeyes have won the award; Antoine Winfield won it in 1998 and Malcolm Jenkins won it in 2008. Former Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah was famously snubbed in 2019, when the award instead went to LSU safety Grant Delpit.
Preseason watch list season just continues to highlight how talented this Ohio State team is slated to be.
ICYMI: Maxwell Award preseason watch list released
The Maxwell Award, given to the best player in all of college football, released its annual preseason watch list on Monday, and three Buckeyes superstars landed on the list. They’ll open the season with Maxwell Award aspirations.
Former Kansas State star Will Howard, the presumed Buckeyes starting quarterback and former Big 12 champion with the Wildcats, is on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list. He enters camp this week in the middle of a battle with third-year Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown. Howard is the favorite to win the job, so he’s on the watch list for the Maxwell Award.
Then there’s former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, the former two-time All-SEC tailback who transferred to Ohio State and is now showing up on the watch list for the Maxwell Award. After back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns for the Rebels, he will team up with third-year Ohio State back TreVeyon Henderson to form the best backfield in the country.
Finally, the Maxwell Award preseason watch list includes Ohio State superstar senior receiver Emeka Egbuka. After posting 1,151 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, Egbuka battled an ankle injury last year and still posted good numbers.
So was watch list for Outland, Nagurski Trophies…
The Buckeyes landed a nation-best four players on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is given annually to the top defensive player in college football.
Those four Ohio State honorees are senior cornerback Denzel Burke, senior defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, sophomore safety Caleb Downs and senior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau.
Three Buckeyes found themselves on that prestigious preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy. Starting right tackle Josh Fryar, starting left guard Donovan Jackson and starting defensive tackle Tyleik Williams are all on the preseason watch list.
