Clemson football has been making headlines all summer long, and today is no different. The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced that three Tigers — linebacker Barrett Carter, defensive tackle Tyler Davis and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. — were named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s top defensive player.
The three Tigers join a group of 96 candidates from across the country who are being considered for this prestigious award, which honors college football’s best defensive players.
#0 Barrett Carter
Carter, a 6’1″, 215-pound junior from Suwanee, Ga., has played in 26 games for the Tigers since 2021-22. He was an All-ACC honorable mention last season after finishing with 73 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. Carter has a knack for getting to the quarterback and is an excellent pass rusher at the outside linebacker position.
#13 Tyler Davis
Davis is a 6’2″, 300-pound senior from Apopka, Fla., who has appeared in 43 games for Clemson over his 4-year career thus far. He finished 2022-23 with 31 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks while earning ACC Honor Roll selection among another award last season.
#54 Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Trotter Jr., a 6’0″ 230-pound junior from Hainesport, N.J. is coming off a breakout season in which he earned second-team All-ACC recognition after recording 89 total tackles including 6.5 for loss and 2 interceptions in 13 starts his sophomore year as a starter at Clemson.
The FWAA will select five finalists for the award before announcing the winner at its annual banquet on Dec 8th in Charlotte North Carolina hosted by The Charlotte Touchdown Club. Previous winners include Manti Te’o (Notre Dame), Luke Kuechly (Boston College), and Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh).
All eyes will now turn towards these three Tigers as they look to continue their impressive performances on defense during this upcoming season and potentially take home this year’s Bronko Nagurski trophy!
