DALLAS (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America released its 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List today, selecting three returning FWAA All-Americans among 68 defensive standouts as contenders for the national defensive player of the year. The list hosts players from 47 different schools and all 10 Division I FBS conferences plus Independents.
The linebacker who led the nation in tackles for loss last season, now with a different program, joins the three returning All-Americans to champion the list, along with four of the top 10 sack leaders from a year ago, three of top 12 in total tackles and two of the top interception leaders. Just under half (30 of 68) of its members hail from the Southeastern (17) and Big Ten (13) Conferences. The Atlantic Coast and Big 12 Conferences have 10 players each on the team.
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2026 trophy on Nov. 19. The official presentation to the recipient of the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C. on Dec. 7.
Leonard Moore, a junior cornerback at Notre Dame, leads off the three returning FWAA All-Americans as a First Team choice and a Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist last season. Moore tied for seventh nationally with five interceptions in 2025. John Henry Daley, a defensive end now playing at Michigan, was one of the FBS’ top defensive loss leaders last season while playing at Utah, rolling up 17.5 total tackles for loss, third nationally by average per game and fifth as a total. Daley earned Second Team FWAA All-America honors. Faletau Satuala, a safety at BYU who also earned Second Team honors, helped his team reach the Big 12 Championship Game spearheading the conference’s third-best defense.
Texas senior linebacker Rasheem Biles, one of the offseason’s top portal transfers moving from Pitt, is also on the list after leading the nation with 1.70 tackles for loss per game. Biles played in only 10 contests but his 17.0 total TFL’s tied for eighth in the FBS. He joins Texas linebacker Colin Simmons, another standout and a repeat member on this year's watch list, as the Longhorns’ pair of representatives.
Defending national champion Indiana leads all schools with four defenders on the watch list in linebackers Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones, defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker and safety Amare Ferrell. Including Satuala, BYU joins four other schools with three players each adding the Cougars’ linebacker Isaiah Glasker and transfer linebacker Cade Uluave (from Cal).
Texas Tech made headlines all last season with its defense and had the eventual 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, Jacob Rodriguez, at linebacker. The Red Raiders have three seniors on this year’s watch list in fellow linebacker Ben Roberts, defensive tackle A.J. Holmes Jr. and cornerback Brice Pollock. Holmes was voted the Big 12’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year at its Media Days last month. Oregon’s defense that dominated Texas Tech in last season’s College Football Playoff Quarterfinals, has a trio on the list as well in senior defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington, returning watch list member and safety Koi Perich and sophomore cornerback Brandon Finney Jr.
Miami, which lost to Indiana in last season’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game, returns a stout defense containing watch-listers Bryce Fitzgerald at safety, Ahmad Moten Sr. at defensive tackle and Damon Wilson II at defensive end. Fitzgerald’s six interceptions tied for second in the FBS last season.
Notre Dame, which had the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner in safety Xavier Watts, has another prime candidate in the secondary with Moore at cornerback and his five interceptions from last season. The Fighting Irish are expecting a banner season on defense paced by other watch-listers linebacker Drayk Bowen and defensive tackle Boubacar Traore. Moore and Bowen are two of the 11 repeating selections on this year's watch list.
Alabama, Georgia, Louisville, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas each have two representatives on the list. South Carolina, which had the 2024 Bronko Nagurski winner with edge rusher Kyle Kennard, has junior defensive end Dylan Stewart returning to the watch list from last season. By conference, in addition to the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 members, the Mountain West, Pac-12 and Sun Belt had three each as did the Independents; and the American, Conference USA and Mid-American had two each.
New Mexico linebacker Jaxton Eck earned the Mountain West Conference’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year at its Media Days last month, as did Troy defensive end Donnie Smith within the Sun Belt Conference. Kennesaw State linebacker Baron Hopson was named CUSA’s prospective Defensive Player of the Year at its Media Days last month.
By position, the list has 21 linebackers, 16 safeties (including one designated nickel back), 13 defensive ends, 10 defensive tackles and eight cornerbacks.
Returning members from the 2025 watch list: KJ Bolden, Georgia; Drayk Bowen, Notre Dame; C.J. Fite, Arizona State; Kip Lewis, Oklahoma; Leonard Moore, Notre Dame; Koi Perich, Oregon; Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss; Colin Simmons, Texas; Dylan Stewart, South Carolina; Jayden Virgin-Morgan, Boise State; and Whit Weeks, LSU.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.
Click here for a full list of Outland Trophy Watch List recipients.
