A pair of Buckeyes have been placed on the watch list for one of college football’s most prestigious awards, as junior defensive end Nick Bosa and sophomore running back J.K. Dobbins were named to the Maxwell Award Watch List.
The Maxwell Award has been given annually to America’s College Football Player of the Year since 1937.
Bosa, who was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year last year, is one of just three defensive players on the watch list, joining Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver.
Dobbins, meanwhile, is one of 10 sophomore running backs on the list.
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield won the award last year.
Only four Buckeyes have won the award — Howard Cassady (1955), Bob Ferguson (1961), Archie Giffin (1975), and Eddie George (1995). The last Big Ten player to win the award was Penn State running back Larry Johnson in 2002.
Also released on Monday was the Bednarik Award Watch List. The Bednarik Award is given annually to the College Defensive Player of the Year.
Bosa was the only Buckeye named to the list. Teams like Kansas, Boston College, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Wyoming had two players on the watch list, while Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, and USC had three players. The three Wolverines were defensive ends Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich and linebacker Devin Bush.
No Ohio State player has ever won the Bednarik Award, which has been around since 1995.
Here are the Watch Lists in full.
Did you hear that Alford? No Weber.