Texas Football Well Represented on Preseason Award Watch Lists

The return of Texas Football for Texas sports fans everywhere is something marked on our calendar early and anticipated heavily. I love the preseason. Not just because it marks the return of Texas Football, because it is also full of hope.

This season is shaping up that makes me feel it’s going to be the year it all comes together, and the return to the glory of 2005 comes to fruition.

Aside from the hopeful stories coming out of camp, we are also given a glimpse into the expectations others have from the Texas Football team. This insight comes in the form of preseason award watch lists, and if this preseason is any indication Texas is in position to meet elevated expectations this season.

Let’s take a look at some of the more notable awards and the Longhorns on these lists: [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)]

Tom Herman – 2018 Dodd Trophy Watch List

University of Texas head coach Tom Herman has been named to the 2018 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list by The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The preseason watch list includes 20 coaches.

In his first season at Texas, Herman guided the Longhorns to a 7-6 record and a victory in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl over Missouri. Entering his fourth overall season as a head coach, Herman owns a career record of 29-10 (.744).

The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.

Collin Johnson – 2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List

Texas Football’s Collin Johnson was named to the 2018 watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation. The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the outstanding FBS receiver.

No Longhorn has ever won the award, which was first presented in 1994, but Jordan Shipley was a finalist in 2009.

A native of San Jose, Calif., Johnson has played in all 25 games in his career while making 10 starts. He eclipsed 1,000 career receiving yards last season in a game at West Virginia and enters 2018 with 82 catches for 1,080 yards and five TDs. Making nine starts last season, Johnson totaled 54 receptions for 765 yards and two touchdowns. His 54 catches were the 19th-most in school history for a single season. In a monster game at USC last season, Johnson had seven catches for 191 yards, the fourth-most by a Longhorn all-time and the most ever by a UT player on the road. Johnson enters the 2018 season with two career 100-yard receiving games.

Collin Johnson – Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List

Collin Johnson was named to the 2018 watch list for the Walter Camp Award, by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The award has been presented annually to college football’s player of the year since 1967. Two Longhorns have combined to win the award three times (Ricky Williams, 1998; Colt McCoy, 2008, 2009).

Collin Johnson – Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List

Collin Johnson was named to the 2018 watch list for The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. The sixth annual award watch list was announced today at the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce East Texas Kick-Off Luncheon. Longhorn, and current Houston Texan, D’Onta Foreman won the award in 2016.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community and tenacity; specifically, tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals. In addition, the nominee must meet one or more of the following criteria: born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas High School and/or played at a Texas-based junior college or four-year college.

Breckyn Hager and Gary Johnson – Bednarik Award Watch List

Texas Football’s Breckyn Hager and Gary Johnson were named to the 2018 watch list for the Bednarik Award, presented annually to the College Defensive Player of the Year. The award was first given in 1995.

No Longhorn has won the award, but Derrick Johnson was a finalist in 2004.

Hager, a native of Austin, Texas, played in all 13 games a season ago and made four starts. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 by the league’s head coaches, finishing the season with 23 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, four pass breakups, three QB hurries and a fumble recovery. For his career, Hager has totaled 105 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He has played in 34 career games with nine starts.

Johnson, who hails from Douglas, Ala., enters his second with the Longhorns after playing his first two seasons at Dodge City CC. He played in 13 games last season with seven starts, finishing fourth on the team with 60 tackles. Johnson also added six tackles for loss, two sacks, four QB hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. He was named Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Week following a win at West Virginia in which he totaled seven tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a QB hurry. That fourth quarter strip-sack led directly to Longhorn points and extended the lead to 14 points as UT clinched bowl-eligibility.

Breckyn Hager  – Ted Hendricks Award Watch List

Making his second appearance in this article, Texas Football’s Breckyn Hager was named to the watch list for the 2018 Ted Hendricks Award by the Ted Hendricks Foundation. Brian Orakpo (2008) and Jackson Jeffcoat (2013) have won the Award, which was first presented in 2002. Cory Redding (2002), Tim Crowder (2006) and Sergio Kindle (2009) have also been finalists.

Gary Johnson – Butkus Award Watch List

Also making his second appearance in this article, Texas Football’s Gary Johnson was named to the 2018 watch list for the Butkus Award. The award is presented to college football’s top linebacker. The last Longhorn to win the award was Derrick Johnson in 2004. Johnson, in 2003, and Sergio Kindle in 2009 have also been finalists for the award.

Patrick Vahe – Outland Trophy Watch List

Texas Football’s Patrick Vahe was named to the 2018 watch list for the Outland Trophy, announced by the Football Writers Association of America on Tuesday morning. The award is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman, which includes all offensive lineman and defensive tackles.

Vahe looks to become the first Longhorn since Brad Shearer in 1977 to win the award. Tommy Nobis (1965) and Scott Appleton (1963) have also won the award, while four Longhorns – Dan Neil (1996), Leonard Davis (2000), Justin Blalock (2006) and Malcom Brown (2014) – were all named finalists.

Vahe, a native of Euless, Texas, has played in 34 career games and made 31 starts. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 in 2017 after being named a Freshman All-American in 2015. Vahe started 12 games in 2017, helping the Longhorns to a 7-6 record and a victory in the Texas Bowl over Missouri. As a sophomore in 2016, he played in 12 games with nine starts, helping block for Doak Walker Award winner D’Onta Foreman.

Kris Boyd – Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Texas Football’s Kris Boyd was named to the 2018 watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and FWAA. The trophy, annually presented since 1993 to the best defensive player in college football, has twice been won by a Longhorn (Derrick Johnson, 2004; Brian Orakpo, 2008). Malcolm Brown was also a finalist in 2014.

Boyd, a native of Gilmer, Texas, played in all 13 games last season while making 12 starts. He was named second team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press. He finished fifth on the team with 57 tackles, while totaling two interceptions and 15 pass breakups, the most for a Longhorn since 2011. For his career, Boyd has played in 37 games and made 20 starts. He has totaled 121 tackles (89 solo) with three interceptions, 22 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has been named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award and garnered preseason All-Big 12 honors from the league’s media, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.

Kris Boyd – Jim Thorpe Award Watch List

Kris Boyd was named to the 2018 watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. The award is presented to college football’s top defensive back. Texas has a long history with the Thorpe Award, which was first presented in 1986. Michael Huff and Aaron Ross won it in back-to-back seasons (2005-06) and three others have been named finalists for the award (Quentin Jammer, Earl Thomas, DeShon Elliott).

There you have it Texas Football fans. While there may be more names added to the lists still pouring out in the coming days, you now have a quick rundown on the Texas Football players getting preseason attention. Here’s hoping Texas Football is well represented on the postseason awards as well, meaning HUGE things happened on the field for the 2018 Texas Football season. Hook’Em!

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