Biggest Snubs and Surprises from College Football's Preseason Awards Watch Lists
Much like the first bulbs blooming on a barren tree signifies the arrival of spring after a long winter, the annual award watch lists mean that college football is just around the corner.
Each major national award (other than the Heisman) uses this time to put out an initial list of potential candidates, lists that are so lengthy it seems like almost every good player in the country is included. All told, nearly 1,000 names are cataloged on 16 watch lists, with a whopping 144 included on the Lombardi Award given to the nation's top defensive player.
The organizations behind these awards are trying to cover their bases and avoid leaving anyone out, though most end up adding names to the mix as the season goes on. This results in some surprising initial inclusions, but also a handful of notable omissions.
Here's our look at the biggest snubs and surprises from the 2015 award watch lists.
Surprise: Everett Golson, QB, Florida State
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Watch lists named to: Maxwell and Walter Camp (both for player of the year)
Everett Golson had a pretty good 2014 season for Notre Dame, one where he was so explosive early on that he was getting plenty of Heisman buzz. But a disastrous, turnover-filled second half not only contributed to the Fighting Irish falling out of the playoff race, but also cost Golson his job.
After realizing this spring he wasn't going to beat out sophomore Malik Zaire for the starting gig, Golson opted to leave Notre Dame and transfer to another program for his final season. He chose Florida State over several other schools, and he instantly becomes the Seminoles' most experienced quarterback.
But he's in no way guaranteed to even be FSU's starter, let alone one that would be worthy of national player of the year consideration. Otherwise, wouldn't he have been on the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award given to the nation's top QB?
It appears Golson was picked based solely on his past achievement, not projected future performance. None of the other graduate transfer quarterbacks who switched schools after losing their starting jobs (Jeff Driskel, Daxx Garman, Greyson Lambert, Jake Rudock) made a watch list.
Snub: Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee
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Watch list missing from: Jim Thorpe (top defensive back)
Cameron Sutton defended 16 passes last season, which was tied for third in the SEC and tied for 16th nationally. That's the same number that highly touted Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III had in 2014, and two fewer than Auburn's Jonathan Jones.
Hargreaves and Jones are two of the 42 names on the Thorpe preseason watch list, but Sutton is not.
"My play speaks for itself, I don't need to talk about it," Sutton said last week during SEC media days (h/t WBIR). "I showcase it and bring it every Saturday."
The 6'1", 189-pound junior has started all 25 games in his Tennessee career. He's intercepted five passes in those two seasons, including three last year.
Surprise: Jeremy Johnson, QB, Auburn
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Watch lists named to: Davey O'Brien (top quarterback), Maxwell (player of the year)
There are 24 quarterbacks who were on the initial Davey O'Brien watch list, down from 39 a year ago. Yet somehow a player with two career starts made the cut.
Jeremy Johnson is receiving plenty of hype heading into the 2015 season, thanks to a strong arm and impressive work in a pair of spot starts over the previous two years. But in reality, we don't know how good the junior is going to be after serving two seasons as backup to Nick Marshall.
Auburn is retooling its offense this year to accommodate Johnson's passing acumen, and the uncertainty that comes from this change likely contributed to the Tigers having some very odd results in the media voting for the SEC's predicted order of finish. Auburn was picked as the favorite to win the conference, but not to win the West Division, finishing second behind Alabama.
Snub: J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State
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Watch list missing from: Davey O'Brien (top quarterback)
While all three of Ohio State's quarterbacks were named to the national player of the year watch lists released by the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards, only Jones was selected by the O'Brien folks. They also attached an asterisk to Jones' name, saying he was selected because he was the Buckeyes starter at the end of the 2014-15 season.
Watch lists aren't binding, as players can be added along the way, and odds are that if either J.T. Barrett or Braxton Miller were to play this year (and do well in the process) they'd be included when the O'Brien releases a list of semifinalists in early November.
Normally, we wouldn't be in favor of highlighting non-starters for national awards, but Ohio State's three-headed quarterback battle is a unique exception that deserves recognition.
Surprise: Kelby Brown, LB, Duke
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Watch lists named to: Bednarik (top defensive player), Butkus (top linebacker), Wuerffel (top citizen)
It's not that Kelby Brown isn't deserving of being honored for national awards, especially considering what he's been through in his injury-plagued college career. Rather, the fact that he's officially done playing is why his name shouldn't be on any preseason watch lists.
The 6'2", 225-pound senior won't play again after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in late June. It was the second time he'd torn that ligament, requiring surgery last August that caused him to miss the 2014 season. He's also twice torn his right ACL, with the second time putting him on the shelf for the 2012 campaign.
Despite the injuries, Brown registered 242 tackles and six fumble recoveries in his Duke career, which began in 2010. That season was cut short by the first of his four knee injuries, and first of three surgeries.
Duke announced Brown was done for the year (and his career) on July 7, the same day the Bednarik Award released its watch list. That inclusion is understandable, but the Butkus and Wuerffel watch lists were released a week later and could have been revised beforehand.
Snub: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh
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Watch list missing from: Biletnikoff (top receiver)
Can you name 48 wide receivers coming back this season in college football before coming to Tyler Boyd's name? Apparently, the Biletnikoff Award folks can, despite him being one of the most productive pass catchers the past two seasons.
It turns out he wasn't on the watch list not because of a lack of on-field performance but because of his off-field actions.
According to Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, an email from a Biletnikoff spokesperson indicated that "player conduct/misconduct is a criterion" of the award. Boyd was arrested this summer on a DUI charge, which is still pending.
Similar conduct issues might explain why Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, a sophomore, wasn't on the Doak Walker watch list, as Cook is currently suspended in the wake of assault allegations from earlier this summer. Both, however, are on the list for the Maxwell Award, a national player of the year honor.
Snub: Ryan Switzer, WR, North Carolina
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Watch list missing from: Biletnikoff (top receiver)
Ryan Switzer broke onto the national scene as a freshman in 2013 by tying the FBS record for punt return touchdowns in a season. He brought back five that year, becoming such a deadly weapon that last season opponents did everything they could to keep him from bringing another back.
The approach worked, but Switzer still contributed mightily for North Carolina by leading the team in receptions (61) and yards (762). That includes a nine-catch, 136-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over ACC Coastal Division champion Georgia Tech.
That wasn't enough to warrant the 5'10", 180-pound Switzer making the Biletnikoff watch list. This included several who had fewer yards, and a couple who weren't the leading receivers on their respective teams.
Snub: Georgia Tech Offensive Line
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Watch lists missing from: Lombardi and Outland (top lineman)
Georgia Tech ranked second nationally in rushing offense in 2014, at 342.07 yards per game, using a triple-option attack to win the ACC's Coastal Division and 11 games. The Yellow Jackets lost mostly all of their running backs, but return quarterback Justin Thomas and four offensive linemen who have a combined 72 career starts.
Thomas found his name on plenty of watch lists, and rightfully so. But the only Tech blocker to get recognition was center Freddie Burden, a 6'3", 302-pound redshirt junior, who is on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy which honors the nation's top center.
Despite starting all 14 games last season, though, Burden wasn't picked for a spot on either of the watch lists that highlight other linemen. Neither was senior guard Trey Braun, senior tackle Bryan Chamberlain or sophomore tackle Chris Griffin.
Snub: Larry Rose III, RB, New Mexico State
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Watch list missing from: Doak Walker (top running back)
With 69 names on its initial list, the Doak Walker folks reached far and wide for names to include as possible winners. That includes several who didn't have particularly productive 2014 seasons, but could be in line for a big year this fall.
Larry Rose III was one of the few bright spots last year for New Mexico State, rushing for 1,102 yards and nine touchdowns in only 10 games as a freshman. But probably because the 5'11", 180-pound Rose plays for arguably the worst program in FBS, he didn't warrant being the 70th member of the Doak Walker list.
New Mexico State went 2-10 in 2014, its third straight year with double-digit losses and 12th straight with a losing record. The Aggies haven't made a bowl game since 1960.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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