Bulldogs’ Rice up for second national award, lands on Nagurski Trophy watch list
Fresno State linebacker Justin Rice has landed a spot on a watch list for a second prestigious national award.
The senior from Modesto is one of 98 players up for the 2020 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in college football as voted on by membership of the Football Writers Association of America.
Rice also is on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the defensive player of the year in college football.
The linebacker enters his senior season as the top returning tackler in the Mountain West. He was in on 112 total tackles a year ago when he was a first-team all-conference selection including 65 solo, the most among linebackers in the conference in both categories.
On the year, he had eight games with 10 or more tackles including four in a row starting with 10 in a 30-17 victory at New Mexico State in which the Bulldogs allowed just 4.6 yards per play, best of the season against an FBS opponent. That was followed by a season-high 13 tackles at No. 22 Air Force, 10 more in a victory over UNLV and 11 in a loss to Colorado State.
Rice also was one of 13 players in FBS to force four or more fumbles and one of only three to do it when playing in 12 games or less.
It is the third year in a row the Bulldogs have had a linebacker on multiple watch lists, following Mykal Walker last season (Nagurski, Butkus, Bednarik) and Jeff Allison in 2018 (Butkus, Bednarik).
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy was won last season by Kentucky end Josh Allen, and past winners include Pittsburgh tackle Aaron Donald (2013), Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly (2011) and Nebraska tackle Ndamukong Suh (2009).
There are four players from the Mountain West on the 2020 watch list – Rice, Boise State safety Kekaula Kaniho, Nevada defensive lineman Dom Peterson and San Diego State defensive lineman Cameron Thomas.
The conference also had seven players selected to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, which also was announced on Tuesday.
Wyoming center Keegan Cryder, Air Force tackle Parker Ferguson and guard Nolan Laufenberg, Hawaii tackle Ilm Manning and New Mexico tackle Teton Saltes along with Peterson and Thomas are on the list for the Outland, which is awarded to the top interior lineman in the nation.