Wisconsin football: preseason awards watch list roundup

As soon as the preseason award watch lists begin popping out, you already know faculty soccer and crisp, fall air are simply across the nook. Per standard, the Wisconsin Badgers have a handful of gamers representing the crew, most notably sophomore working again Braelon Allen.

Allen was named to the Maxwell Award, given out to the highest participant within the nation, watch record and he’s joined by a “who’s who” of school soccer stars. Gamers like Alabama LB Will Anderson, Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall, Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and USC QB Caleb Williams dot the record this season. Finalists final yr included Alabama QB Bryce Younger (winner), Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker III and Pitt QB Kenny Pickett.

An Alabama participant has received the award three out of the final 4 years, with solely LSU’s Joe Burrow breaking apart the Tide’s dominance. The final time a Large Ten participant received the award was Penn State RB Larry Johnson in 2002 and the final time a Wisconsin participant received the award was the legendary Ron Dayne in 1999.

Talking of Wisconsin working backs, each Allen and Chez Mellusi have been named to the Doak Walker Award, given yearly to the very best tailback within the nation, watch record for 2022. Walker, apparently sufficient, received the Maxwell Award in 1947 at SMU.

Please forgive me if I missed one, however so far as my feeble mind can inform, these are the groups, in addition to Wisconsin, which have two gamers on the watch record: Appalachian State, UCF, UTEP, Mississippi State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Northern Illinois, Texas and Georgia Tech.

The Badgers have traditionally been dominant in profitable this award. Jonathan Taylor received it in back-to-back seasons (2018 and 2019), Melvin Gordon received it in 2014, Montee Ball received it in 2012 and Dayne took it residence throughout his record-setting 1999 season. MSU’s Walker III received the award final yr and Allen and Mellusi can be trying to preserve it within the convention once more this yr.

One other place that Wisconsin routinely produces studs at is the offensive line. Junior middle Joe Tippmann is nominated for the Rimmington Award, given out to the very best middle within the nation. Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum is the reigning winner, and deservedly in order he was dominant final yr in the midst of the Hawkeyes’ line.

The Large Ten has 5 different nominees for this trophy, together with Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz, who could also be one of many favorites to win. The Badgers final, and solely, time profitable this award was in 2019 when Tyler Biadasz took residence the {hardware}.