Two Oklahoma State Defensive Stars Make Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Oklahoma State has a couple of the nation’s best linebackers, and one of them could take home some hardware next season.
On Tuesday, the Football Writers Association of America released its watch list for the Bronko Nagurski trophy. The Nagurski Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding defensive player in college football each year.
Two Cowboys, Collin Oliver and Nick Martin, are expected to be contenders for the Nagurski Trophy. OSU is one of 15 teams with multiple players on the list, with its selections among the Big 12’s 12 players on the list.
If either Cowboy can win the award, it would be the first time the Nagurski Trophy comes to Stillwater. Last season, Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts won the award, making his mark as a safety.
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Still listed as a linebacker, Oliver is expected to play on the line much more this season. After starting as a defensive end, the standout has excelled at linebacker throughout his career as well.
Last season, Oliver played in all 14 games and was a force for the Cowboys, making 73 tackles. That included 15.5 tackles for loss and six sacks while forcing four fumbles. Still playing at the line in critical situations for the Cowboys last season, Oliver’s best ability has been getting to the quarterback.
As a freshman, Oliver had 11.5 sacks to lead the Big 12 and rank seventh nationally. While Oliver might play closer to the ball next season, Martin will still make a strong case for being the top linebacker in the Big 12.
In 2023, Martin was a tackling machine and ranked sixth in the NCAA while leading the Big 12. He had six games with at least 10 tackles, including 17-tackle performances against Kansas State and West Virginia. Along with his impressive tackling numbers, Martin had some takeaways, forcing and recovering one fumble and getting a couple of interceptions.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.