Trio Of Bulldogs Make Preseason Watch Lists

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Seven months after being named the first Maxwell Award finalist in school history, Mississippi State senior quarterback Dak Prescott was named to the watch list for the 79th edition of the award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Tuesday. In addition, senior defensive back Will Redmond and junior defensive lineman Chris Jones were placed on the watch list for the 21st annual Chuck Bednarik Award.

Prescott is the only returning finalist named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which since 1937 has been awarded to the top college football player in the country. Last season, the Haughton, Louisiana, native broke 12 single-season school records en route to becoming one of two FBS players in the last seven seasons to average 265 yards passing and 75 rushing per game in a season (Johnny Manziel, 2012). As the unquestioned team leader last fall, Prescott led MSU to its first 10-win regular season and No. 1 national ranking in history.

The signal caller finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2014 and leads all 2015 returning Southeastern Conference quarterbacks in career rushing and passing touchdowns as well as career rushing and passing yards. A two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Prescott enters September’s season opener at Southern Miss nine rushing touchdowns shy of joining Tim Tebow as the only two SEC players in history to rush for 40 touchdowns and throw for 40 touchdowns in a career.

Redmond made his way on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented yearly to the best defensive player in the nation. Last fall, Redmond tallied 51 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss and three interceptions. Earlier this summer, the Memphis, Tennessee native was named the top senior defensive back in the country by Mel Kiper Jr., as well as a preseason All-American by Phil Steele.

Jones, a preseason All-American by Sporting News and Phil Steele, landed on the list next to Redmond after collecting 26 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced Nov. 23, 2015, while the three finalists for each award will be unveiled Nov. 23, 2015. The winners of the 2015 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 10, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 11, 2015.