The Deseret News is tracking the release of this year’s college football preseason watch lists. Come back for updates on what Utah ties make the lists for the sport’s top awards.
Jim Thorpe Award
- Ike Larsen, junior S, Utah State: Larsen, a first-team All-Mountain West selection last year and a second-teamer the season before, burst onto the scene last year. He finished the 2023 season with 103 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions (including one he returned for a touchdown) and a forced fumble, along with two blocks on special teams.
2023 Thorpe Award winner: Trey Taylor, S, Air Force
Previous local winners (first awarded in 1986): None
Nagurski Trophy
Nation’s best defensive player
- Jeffrey Bassa, senior LB, Oregon: Bassa, who prepped at Kearns High, has been a consistent performer for Oregon since his freshman year, and the 2023 season was the first year he started every game for the Ducks. In his 14 starts, he had a career-high 72 tackles to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass deflections and an interception.
- Tyler Batty, senior DE, BYU: Batty, who’s started 32 games since joining the Cougars in the 2020 season, put up career numbers during his junior year. He ended the 2023 season with a career-high in tackles (57), tackles for loss (9), sacks (5.5) and forced fumbles (2). Batty, the lone BYU player named to the preseason All-Big 12 team, is looking to add on to his 15 career sacks.
- Ike Larsen, junior S, Utah State: Larsen, a first-team All-Mountain West selection last year and a second-teamer the season before, burst onto the scene last year. He finished the 2023 season with 103 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions (including one he returned for a touchdown) and a forced fumble, along with two blocks on special teams.
- Junior Tafuna, senior DT, Utah: Tafuna is a three-year starter and three-time all-conference selection for the Utes. The 2021 Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year has 77 career tackles, with 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Last year, Tafuna also had two pass deflections, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
2023 Nagurski Trophy winner: Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
Previous local winners (first awarded in 1993): None
Outland Trophy
Nation’s best interior lineman
- Junior Tafuna, senior DT, Utah: Tafuna is a three-year starter and three-time all-conference selection for the Utes. The 2021 Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year has 77 career tackles, with 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Last year, Tafuna also had two pass deflections, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
2023 Outland Trophy winner: T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
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Previous local winners (first awarded in 1946): Merlin Olsen, 1961, Utah State; Jason Buck, 1986, BYU; Mohammed Elewonibi, 1989, BYU; Penei Sewell, 2019, East High (Oregon)
Maxwell Award
- Jaxson Dart, senior QB, Ole Miss: Dart, the former Roy High and Corner Canyon High quarterback, had his best college season in 2023. He finished the year completing 65.1% of his passes for 3,364 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. Dart has thrown for 7,691 yards in his college career and could pass the 10,000-yard mark this season.
- Cameron Rising, senior QB, Utah: Rising missed all of the 2023 season due to injury, but he returns for his seventh year of college ball with high expectations. That’s because Rising helped lead Utah to back-to-back Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022 — over those two seasons, he threw for 5,527 yards and 46 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions while also rushing for 964 yards and 12 touchdowns.
- Jalen Royals, senior WR, Utah State: Royals, in his second season in Logan after transferring from junior college, had a breakout season in 2023. He finished with 71 receptions for 1,080 yards and a school-record 15 touchdown catches. That included four games with 100-plus receiving yards and four games with multiple touchdown receptions.
2023 Maxwell Award winner: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Previous local winners (first awarded in 1937): Ty Detmer, BYU, 1990