Two More West Virginia Mountaineers Named to Preseason Watch Lists

In May, center Tyler Orlosky was named to the Rimington watch List. The Rimington Trophy is given to the most outstanding center in collegiate football. Two more Mountaineers have been named to preseason watch lists.

Senior quarterback Skyler Howard has been named to the 80th annual Maxwell Award watch list. The Maxwell Award has been given to America’s College Player of the Year every year since 1937. The award is named for Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell, whose contributions to the game include player, sportswriter and official.

Howard threw for 3,145 yards while adding an additional 502 yards on the ground. Howard’s 2015 season accounted for the fifth most passing yards in WVU history, third most total yards in Mountaineer history and the second most passing yards in a single game.

Noble Nwachukwu has been named to the 22nd annual Bednarik Award watch list. The Bednarik Award, given annually to the Collegiate Defensive Player of the Year, is named for former Penn University and Philadelphia Eagle Chuck Bednarik. Chuck Bednarik, who is related to former WVU quarterback Adam Bednarik, is best known for the tackle that knocked out New York Giants running back Frank Gifford. It is considered one of the most famous tackles in the history of the NFL.

Nwachukwu finished with 37 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in 2015. He ranked 5th in sacks and 12th in tackles for loss in the Big 12 last year. In conference games, he ranked number 2 in sacks and number 3 in tackles for loss.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced October 31, 2016, while the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 21, 2016. The winners of the 2016 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 8, 2016. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 10, 2017.

The remaining watch lists will be announced over the next week. The full rundown is as follows.

Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy (July 6)

Mackey Watch List

Rimington Watch List

Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award (July 7)

Ray Guy Watch List

Lou Groza Watch List

Bronko Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy (July 8)

Bronko Nagurski Watch List

Outland Watch List

Jim Thorpe Award (July 11)

Thorpe Watch List

Butkus Award/Rotary Lombardi Award (July 12)

Butkus Award

Rotary Lombardi Award

Biletnikoff Award/Wuerffel Trophy (July 13)

Wuerffel Trophy

Biletnikoff Award

Davey O’Brien Award/Doak Walker Award (July 14)

Davey O'Brien Award

Doak Walker Award

Walter Camp Award (July 15)

Walter Camp Award