DALLAS — UTSA redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Trey Moore and senior safety Rashad Wisdom have landed on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced on Tuesday.
Moore and Wisdom are two of 94 players, including six total defenders from the American Athletic Conference, who were named to the list.
Moore earned Freshman All-America accolades from the FWAA, The Athletic and College Football News and he was a Conference USA All-Freshman Team and honorable mention all-conference selection in 2022. The Smithson Valley High School product started all 14 contests at outside linebacker and broke Marcus Davenport's school single-season record for tackles for loss with 18. On the season, he posted 59 total tackles, 30 solo stops, eight sacks, six pass breakups, five quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Wisdom is a two-time first-team all-conference performer in the secondary. Last fall, he posted 27 total tackles, 21 solo stops, one pass breakup and a fumble recovery in six starts before suffering a season-ending injury. The Converse Judson High School graduate earned first-team all-league recognition in 2021 after tallying 88 total tackles — including 67 unassisted and four tackles for loss — six pass breakups, one forced fumble and a QB hurry. He picked off a school record-tying four passes and logged 95 stops, 60 solos, 2.5 tackles for loss, a pair of forced fumbles and a pass breakup while earning first-team all-conference accolades in 2020.
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2023 trophy on Nov. 15 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 4 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.
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 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.
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.
Under the direction of two-time conference coach of the year Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are coming off an 11-3 campaign that saw them capture their second straight Conference USA crown and play in a bowl game for the third year in a row. UTSA has been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last two seasons and boasts a combined 23 wins over that span, the fourth-best total among all FBS teams behind only Georgia (29), Michigan (25) and Alabama (24).
The Roadrunners have been picked to finish second in the AAC Preseason Media Poll and will kick off their 13th season of play on Saturday, Sept. 2, when they travel to Houston to face the Cougars at 6 p.m. at TDECU Stadium.
UTSA will face Texas State for the home opener at 2:30 p.m. the following Saturday at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners will host Army at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, UAB on Oct. 14, East Carolina on Oct. 28, Rice on Nov. 11 and South Florida at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now by calling 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com/tickets.
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