Sanker named to watch list for Bronko Nagurski Trophy

Virginia safety Jonas Sanker has been named to the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America announced Tuesday. Sanker was one of 75 Division-I FBS players that are in contention for the National Defensive Player of the Year award. Additionally, he is one of seven ACC players to be included on this year’s list.

The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2024 trophy on Nov. 20 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 9 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2023, Sanker was named a First Team All-ACC selection by both the conference office and the Associated Press. He led the Cavaliers in total tackles (107), pass breakups (11) and forced fumbles (3). Sanker also led UVA in tackles in eight of its 12 games last season, including when he recorded a career-high12 tackles against James Madison and Boston College. 

Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a national defensive player of the week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time. 

The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the five finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football. 

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame. 

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

2024 BRONKO NAGURSKI PRESEASON WATCH LIST (75)
DT Bear Alexander, USC
LB Anthony Hill, Texas
LB Harold Perkins, LSU
S Jahdae Barron, Texas
S Maxen Hook, Toledo
LB Colin Ramos, Navy
LB Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon
S Jack Howell, Colorado State
CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina
DE Tyler Batty, BYU
DT Lee Hunter, UCF
DE Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina
LB CJ Bazile, Liberty
CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
LB Matt Salopek, Miami (Ohio)
S Billy Bowman, Oklahoma
DE Landon Jackson, Arkansas
S Jonas Sanker, Virginia
CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas
LB Nick Jackson, Iowa
DE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State
DT Patrick Jenkins, Tulane
S Malaki Starks, Georgia
DE Abdul Carter, Penn State
LB Nate Johnson, App State
LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
CB Sebastian Castro, Iowa
CB Will Johnson, Michigan
DT Junior Tafuna, Utah
S Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State
S Ike Larsen, Utah State
S Dillon Thieneman, Purdue
DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
LB Deontae Lawson, Alabama
DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
DT Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
LB Jacob Manu, Arizona
DE Shemar Turner, Texas A&M
CB Tacario Davis, Arizona
LB Chandler Martin, Memphis
S Jaden Voisin, South Alabama
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
LB Nick Martin, Oklahoma State
DT Deone Walker, Kentucky
DE Joe Evans, UTSA
LB Francisco Mauigoa, Miami
DE Johnny Walker, Missouri
DT Joshua Farmer, Florida State
LB Smael Mondon, Georgia
LB Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern
S Beau Freyler, Iowa State
S Malachi Moore, Alabama
S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
DE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
LB Xander Mueller, Northwestern
DE Maurice Westmoreland, UTEP
DT Mason Graham, Michigan
CB Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon
LB Debo Williams, South Carolina
S Brylan Green, Liberty
DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
DE Mykel Williams, Georgia
CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
DE CJ Nunnally IV, Akron
DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
DE Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State
LB Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State
S Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
DE James Pearce, Tennessee
LB Jackson Woodard, UNLV
LB Jay Higgins, Iowa
DT Aeneas Peeples, Virginia Tech (TR Duke)
DE Peter Woods, Clemson