Greg Moss Of Miami Florida

Award watch lists suggest ACC defensive superiority

   We’ll learn more in the coming days as the preseason watch lists for college football’s other major awards are announced.

   But if the early results are any indication, it appears as though most of the best players in the ACC will be lining up on the defensive side of the ball.

   The league has no fewer than 15 representatives, including last year’s semifinalists Luke Kuechly of Boston College and Brandon Jenkins of Florida State, on the 65-man list for the Chuck Bednarik Award – considered by many to be the defensive equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.  

  By contrast, there are only six ACC offensive players included among the early candidates for the Maxwell Award, symbolic of the college football Player of the Year. And one of them, N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon, has yet to take his first snap as a starter.

   Of the Bednarik contenders, three are from North Carolina. They are defensive linemen Quinton Coples and Donte Paige-Moss, along with linebacker Kevin Reddick. The last ACC player to win the Bednarik, by the way, was the Tar Heels’ Julius Peppers in 2001.

   The others making the list are Florida State’s Nigel Bradham, Greg Reid and Xavier Rhodes, Virginia Tech’s Jayron Hosley and Bruce Taylor, Miami’s Ray Ray Armstrong and Sean Spence, Boston College’s Donnie Fletcher, Virginia’s Chase Minnifield and Maryland’s Kenny Tate.

   Joining Glennon on the Maxwell watch list are Clemson running back Andre Ellington, Boston College running back Montel Harris, Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel, Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien and Virginia Tech running back David Wilson.

   Semifinalists for awards will be announced Oct. 31, with the three finalists for each named on Nov. 21. The winners will be announced as part of the ESPNU College Football Awards Show, to be aired on Dec. 8.

Smith’s numbers could be off the chart, not to mention the fact that he’s on a team with a better chance to reach the upper echelon of the Top 25 by season’s end. O’Brien will be lucky to win eight games this season with the lack of a proven cast around him. No way in hell the quarterback for the 8-4 Maryland Terrapins even sniffs the Heisman.

This is a ok list so far but there are def more candidates for other awards. George Bryan from State is an early candidate for the Mackey Award, given for the number one tight end of the season. I’m sure there are others across the ACC that are in positions like this, a player with their name on an early watch list. Hoping for Bryan and Glennon to win their awards. Go Pack.

Preseason watch lists complete | College Tickets

The members of the National College Football Awards Association unveiled their preseason watch lists over a 13-day period concluding with the Walter Camp Award’s list today.

The Celebrity Black Book 2006, Over 55,000 Accurate Celebrity Addresses

National Faculty Directory 1998: H-O

Natural areas journal, a quarterly publication of the Natural Areas Association

Billboard

D & B million dollar directory