Virginia senior safety Jonas Sanker was among 75 players named to the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, as announced by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) on Tuesday. The award, named for Hall of Famer Bronko Nagurski, who played for the University of Minnesota and then the Chicago Bears in the 1930s, has been given to the National Defensive Player of the Year as selected by the FWAA since 1995.

Sanker is coming off an incredible 2023 campaign that saw him earn a First-Team All-ACC selection after leading his team in tackling with 107 stops, pass breakups with 11 and forced fumbles with three. He made at least seven tackles in 11 of UVA’s 12 games and led the Cavaliers in tackles eight times. Sanker was one of just seven players from the Atlantic Coast Conference to make the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.

Players can be added or removed from the watch list throughout the season, and then five finalists will be announced by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club on Nov. 20. The 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy recipient will be announced on Dec. 9.

View the full pre-season watchlist of 75 players for the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy here.

Previous winners of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy include Charles Woodson, Terrell Suggs, Ndamukong Suh, Luke Kuechly and Aaron Donald.

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