Tyler Eifert made his second watch list in as many days Tuesday, with Braxston Cave getting some preseason praise as well.
Eifert made the preseason 33-man watch list for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's top tight end, while Cave cracked the 51-man watch list for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center.
The lone finalist for last year's Mackey Award to be on the watch list this season, Eifert is coming off a 2011 campaign that saw him crack multiple All-American teams following a 63-catch, 803-yard season. Both figures were Notre Dame records for tight ends. The rising senior was the only tight end named Monday to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's outstanding player.
Cave started 22 straight games before suffering a mid-foot injury in a Nov. 5 win at Wake Forest that required season-ending surgery. The fifth-year senior has played in 35 games in his career.
The Mackey Award semifinalists will be announced Nov. 12, with the finalsits coming a week after. The winner will be honored Dec. 6 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show (ESPNU). The Rimington winner will be honored Jan. 12, 2013 at the Rococo Theater in Lincoln, Neb.
Other watch lists being announced this week are those for the Lou Groza Award and Ray Guy Award (Wednesday), the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy (Thursday), and the Jim Thorpe Award (Friday). Here's guessing that Manti Te'o will make the Nagurski watch list (he was a semifinalist last season.) I wouldn't rule out Cave (Outland) or Jamoris Slaughter (Thorpe) from being mentioned this week, either.
Eifert made the preseason 33-man watch list for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's top tight end, while Cave cracked the 51-man watch list for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center.
The lone finalist for last year's Mackey Award to be on the watch list this season, Eifert is coming off a 2011 campaign that saw him crack multiple All-American teams following a 63-catch, 803-yard season. Both figures were Notre Dame records for tight ends. The rising senior was the only tight end named Monday to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's outstanding player.
Cave started 22 straight games before suffering a mid-foot injury in a Nov. 5 win at Wake Forest that required season-ending surgery. The fifth-year senior has played in 35 games in his career.
The Mackey Award semifinalists will be announced Nov. 12, with the finalsits coming a week after. The winner will be honored Dec. 6 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show (ESPNU). The Rimington winner will be honored Jan. 12, 2013 at the Rococo Theater in Lincoln, Neb.
Other watch lists being announced this week are those for the Lou Groza Award and Ray Guy Award (Wednesday), the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy (Thursday), and the Jim Thorpe Award (Friday). Here's guessing that Manti Te'o will make the Nagurski watch list (he was a semifinalist last season.) I wouldn't rule out Cave (Outland) or Jamoris Slaughter (Thorpe) from being mentioned this week, either.
Matt Fortuna | email
College Football- ESPN.com Notre Dame blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Wrote for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Matt Fortuna
Fortuna joined ESPN.com in 2011 after working for MLB.com and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, where he covered college sports. He grew up in New York and is a Penn State graduate.
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