Notre Dame And College Football Watch Lists
The summer months are the quietest of the college football season, when news coming out of a program is typically of the bad variety.
The only other news in the college football world between Memorial Day and when fall camps open in August is the annual watch lists identifying the top expected talent in the sport, with lists sometimes including names of half of the FBS teams’ starters.
Blue & Gold Illustrated will track Notre Dame players included on watch lists in the coming weeks.
Rimington Award (Best Center In College Football)
Junior center Sam Mustipher became the first Irish player included on a watch list when the Rimington Award included him on their preseason edition in May.
Mustipher will enter Notre Dame’s starting lineup this fall as the replacement for Nick Martin a second-round pick in April’s NFL Draft.
“He’s got the body type for it,” offensive line coach Harry Hiestand said this spring. “He’s thick and strong, and has really good quickness, and he’s really smart. … Sam is probably your classic center body type, combined with intelligence and understanding of football.
“We knew that he would eventually be very good there. He’s progressing really well.”
In his third year in the program, Mustipher feels prepared to become a reliable force along the No. 1 unit.
“Being able to play behind [Martin] for a year and learn the things that he did and see the leadership qualities that he had, it made the transition so much easier than had he not been here,” Mustipher said. “He taught me everything about the position. I credit a lot of what I do now to him.
“He’s so smart and I believe he was the greatest leader in the country last year. … He demands excellence from the guys who are next to him, and that’s the most important quality about him.”
See the entire preseason watch list here.
Lott IMPACT Award (College Football’s Defensive Best In Character And Performance)
Junior safety Drue Tranquill represented Notre Dame on this watch list released earlier in May.
The Fort Wayne, Ind., native has endured season-ending ACL tears in back-to-back seasons, but is projected to replace Elijah Shumate as the starter this fall.
“Strong leadership, strong presence on the field,” head coach Brian Kelly said. “He's a physical player, but he also has the ability to play a couple of different positions for us, as well, and we didn't use some of our different defensive looks.
“But he's a guy that we can count on. He's very smart, a hard worker, and he's got some great tone and a great leadership tone for us back there, as well.”
See the entire preseason watch list here.
Upcoming Watch Lists
Paul Hornung Award — College football’s best all-purpose players
Bednarik Award — Defensive player of the year
Maxwell Award — Overall player of the year
Mackey Award — Top tight end
Lou Groza Award — Top kicker
Ray Guy Award — Top punter
Nagurski Award — Top defensive player
Outland Trophy — Best interior offensive lineman
Thorpe Award — Top defensive back
Butkus Award — Top linebacker
Rotary Lombardi Award — Top offensive lineman, defensive lineman or linebacker
Biletnikoff Award — Top wide receiver
Wuerffel Trophy — Community service and academic award
Davey O’Brien Award — Top quarterback
Doak Walker Award — Top running back
Walter Camp Award — Player of the year
William V. Campbell Trophy — Top scholar-athlete