Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List Announced by FWAA
Corner Leonard Moore along with edge defenders Dylan Stewart and Colin Simmons head the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list. They are among the 11 returning players who were named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List from last fall
Corners Leonard Moore and Zabien Brown along with edge defenders Dylan Stewart and Colin Simmons head the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list. They are part of 68 players named to the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America announced.
The Southeastern Conference leads the nation with 17 players on the watch list. By position, the list includes 21 linebackers, 16 safeties (including one designated nickel back), 13 defensive ends, 10 defensive tackles and eight cornerbacks.
Frank Coyle has been a voter in the Bronko Nagurski award since the mid 1990’s along with all the major college football awards – Heisman, Jim Thorpe, Lombardi, Dick Butkus, John Mackey, Paul Hornung etc
Moore, Brown, Stewart and Simmons are among the 11 returning players who were on the Nagurski Trophy Watch List last fall.
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the defensive player of the year award on Nov. 19. The official presentation to the recipient of the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C. on Dec. 7.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the 2026 season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a Bronko Nagurski 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 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 (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored nearly 1,000 recipients since 1935.
2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Melkart Abou Jaoude, DE, North Carolina
Xavier Atkins, LB, Auburn
Rasheem Biles, LB, Texas
KJ Bolden, S, Georgia
Drayk Bowen, LB, Notre Dame
Sammy Brown, LB, Clemson
Taye Brown, LB, Arizona
Zabien Brown, CB, Alabama
Kemari Copeland, DT, Virginia Tech
John Henry Daley, DE, Michigan
CJ Doggette Jr., DT, Florida Atlantic
Will Echoles, DT, Ole Miss
Jaxton Eck, LB, New Mexico
Koen Entringer, S, Louisville
Tre’Quon Fegans, CB, Jax State
Amare Ferrell, S, Indiana
Brandon Finney Jr., CB, Oregon
C.J. Fite, DT, Arizona State
Bryce Fitzgerald, S, Miami
Blake Fletcher, LB, Air Force
Josh Franklin, NB, Western Michigan
Isaiah Glasker, LB, BYU
Brevin Hamblin, S, Utah State
Rolijah Hardy, LB, Indiana
Simeon Harris, S, Fresno State
A.J. Holmes Jr., DT, Texas Tech
Baron Hopson, LB, Kennesaw State
Bray Hubbard, S, Alabama
Kenyatta Jackson Jr., DE, Ohio State
Will James, CB, Houston
Jamel Johnson, S, TCU
Isaiah Jones, LB, Indiana
Kelley Jones, CB, Mississippi State
Dylan LaBarbera, DE, Nevada
Kip Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
Bryce Llewellyn, S, Eastern Michigan
Clev Lubin, DE, Louisville
Zach Lutmer, S, Iowa
Jaylen McClain, S, Ohio State
Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
Ahmad Moten Sr., DT, Miami
Koi Perich, S, Oregon
Suntarine Perkins, LB, Ole Miss
Colton Phares, LB, App State
Brice Pollock, CB, Texas Tech
Marcus Ratcliffe, S, Texas A&M
Ty Redmond, CB, Tennessee
Ben Roberts, LB, Texas Tech
Kam Robinson, LB, Virginia
Matt Rose, LB, Stanford
Faletau Satuala, S, BYU
Colin Simmons, DE, Texas
Anthony Smith, DE, Minnesota
Donnie Smith, DE, Troy
Dylan Stewart, DE, South Carolina
David Stone, DT, Oklahoma
MJ Stroud, DE, Georgia Southern
Jack Tchienchou, S, Tulane
Boubacar Traore, DT, Notre Dame
Tyrique Tucker, DT, Indiana
Cade Uluave, LB, BYU
Princewill Umanmielen, DE, LSU
Jayden Virgin-Morgan, DE, Boise State
A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon
Whit Weeks, LB, LSU
