National notice for two Fresno State football players offers hope after a rough 2016

Fresno State has at least a couple of reasons not named Jeff Tedford to offer some early hope for a bounceback football season in 2017.

Preseason watch lists for national awards are rolling out and a pair of Bulldogs have made the initial cut.

Senior Aaron Mitchell was named to the 70-man watch list for the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the top center in college football. He is one of seven linemen from the Mountain West conference on the list.

Mitchell, who prepped at Cathedral Catholic High-San Diego, started all 12 games in the Bulldogs’ 1-11 campaign a year ago – the first four at left guard and the final eight at center.

His 24 straight starts dating to his sophomore season lead the Bulldogs.

Kody Kroening, also a senior, is on the Lou Groza watch list as one of the nation’s top kickers after making it to the semifinal round last season. Thirty players were named this preseason.

Kroening’s 15 straight field goals matched the Fresno State school record (Kevin Goessling, 2009). The former Valley Christian-San Jose standout’s 88.2 accuracy (15 of 17) in 2016 ranked No. 13 nationally and No. 5 in the Mountain West.

Tedford opens his first season as Fresno State’s head coach on Sept. 2, when Incarnate Word of San Antonio, Texas, visits Bulldog Stadium. Big tests await the following two weeks – Sept. 9 at Alabama and Sept. 16 at Washington.

This story was originally published July 12, 2017 at 6:17 PM with the headline "National notice for two Fresno State football players offers hope after a rough 2016."