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Oklahoma football: Tracking Sooner national award watch candidates

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel (8) scrambles during a Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.Bedlam Football
Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel (8) scrambles during a Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.Bedlam Football /
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In a typical Oklahoma football preseason, you would expect to find multiple Sooners nominated as candidates on national award preseason watch lists.

These lists are generally pretty lengthy and Sooner players are generally good enough at a number of positions to earn preseason watch consideration and often more than one.

Several OU players merit preseason award consideration this season, but the list is not quite as plentiful as in the recent past.

We will track the preseason national award candidacy of Oklahoma players for you as they come about and as the sun starts to set on the talking season and we get ready to settle for the real deal in just a few weeks.

QB Dillon Gabriel

Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award

Redshirt-senior QB Dillon Gabriel is a preseason candidate for two national awards: the Maxwell Award, which recognizes the best all-around player in college football, and the Davey O’Brien Award, presented annually to the player judged to be the best quarterback in college football. Three former Sooners have been winners of the Maxwell Award: Tommy McDonald in 1956, Jason White in 2004 and Baker Mayfield in 2017). Jason White (2003 and 2004), Sam Bradford (2008), Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) are previous OU winners of the Davey O’Brien Award

RB Jovantae Barnes

Doak Walker Award

Sophomore RB Jovantae Barnes has been named to the 2023 preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, which recognizes the top running back in college football. No Sooner has ever won this award, which was introduced in 1990.

LB Danny Stutsman

Bronko Nagurski Award

Junior linebacker Danny Stutsman is a preseason watch candidate for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded every season to the player deemed to be the best defensive player in college football. Previous Oklahoma winners of this award are S Roy Williams (2001) and CB Derrick Strait (2003)

DL Ethan Downs

Wuerffel Trophy

Ethan Downs, a junior defensive lineman for the Sooners, is a preseason candidate for the Wuerffel Trophy, presented every year to the player believed to be the best at combining exemplary community service with both academic and athletic achievement. Two former Oklahoma players are previous winners of this award started in 2005: OL Gabe Ikard in 2013 and C Ty Darlington two seasons later in 2015.

TE Austin Stogner

John Mackey Award

Redshirt senior TE Austin Stogner is back in an Oklahoma uniform after one season at South Carolina. Stogner is in consideration for the John Mackey Award, which recognizes the best tight end in college football. Mark Andrews (2017) is a previous winner from Oklahoma.

P Luke Elzinga

Ray Guy Award

Redshirt senior Luke Elzinga is a transfer from Central Michigan, where he was the primary punter the past three seasons. He is in consideration for the Ray Guy Award, given every year to the most outstanding punter in college football. Elzinga has averaged 42.4 yards in his career, including 24 of at least 50 yards and 61 inside the 20-yard line. No Oklahoma punter has won this award, which was started in 2000.

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