Tennessee defensive standout Jermod McCoy was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list on Tuesday.
The junior cornerback was one of 60 players included on the award’s preseason watch list, which identifies the top defensive players in college football as contenders for the national defensive player of the year.
McCoy had a breakout sophomore season in 2024 and played a major part for one of the nation’s top defensive units, helping lead UT to its first College Football Playoff appearance.
The Whitehouse, Texas, native, enters the year widely regarded as one of the nation’s top corners after earning first team All-SEC recognition as well as second team All-America honors from the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated last season. McCoy finished third on the team with 44 total tackles and led the team with 13 passes defended, which ranked fourth in the conference. He also tied for the team lead with four interceptions in 2024, two of which occurred in the end zone and prevented touchdowns.
Entering this season, McCoy had already been recognized as a first-team preseason All-American by multiple outlets and was named an All-SEC preseason first-team selection by the media after being tabbed a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award in 2024.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce four finalists for the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy in mid-to-late November, and the winner will be revealed at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on December 8 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The full Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list can be found HERE.
