Ducks Digest

Five Oregon Ducks Named to National Award Watch Lists

Oregon Ducks football is represented on national award watch lists for best interior lineman, best defensive player, and college player of the year.

Kaleb Henry

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) against the Liberty Flames during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.
Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) against the Liberty Flames during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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Award watch season is in full effect and Oregon Ducks football is already well-represented.

Five Ducks have named to national award watch lists this week: Dillon Gabriel and Tez Johnson for the Maxwell Award, Ajani Cornelius for the Outland Trophy, and Jeffrey Bassa and Jabbar Muhammad for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the college player of the year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell, who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.

Gabriel and Johnson are among 80 players on the preseason watch list, making Oregon one of 17 schools with multiple representatives.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Jul 25, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

The quarterback-wide receiver pairing for coach Dan Lanning could utilize each other's talents to both stay in the running for the Maxwell. Gabriel enters 2024 in a tie for fourth in NCAA history in career total touchdowns (152) while ranking seventh in total yards (15,925) and eighth in both passing yards (14,865) and passing touchdowns (125). Johnson's 1,182 receiving yards last year ranked third in single-season history while his 10 receiving touchdowns tied for fourth.

In its 79th year, the Outland Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman. An All-Pac-12 honorable mention recipient in 2023, making the leap to the Outland Trophy would be massive for Cornelius and the Ducks.

Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Jul 25, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given each year to the top defensive player in college football. Bassa started all 14 games for the Ducks last season, helping one of the most improved units in the nation while notching a career-high 72 total tackles. Muhammad joined Oregon in the offseason after helping take Washington to the College Football Playoff National Championship, earning All-Pac-12 honors along the way.

Oregon opens preseason camp on July 31. The season begins Aug. 31 in Autzen Stadium against Idaho.

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Kaleb Henry

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans.He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team.

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