See which locals made preseason college football award lists

Oregon’s Penei Sewell poses with Outland Trophy for being the nation’s best interior lineman Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, in Atlanta. | John Bazemore, AP

Editor’s note: Check back for updates as new watch lists are released.

SALT LAKE CITY — The annual summer tradition of college football preseason award watch lists being released has begun.

Even if the 2020 season doesn’t happen, these locals are being nominated for the country’s top college football awards.

Bronko Nagurski Trophy

Nation’s most outstanding defensive player

• Khyiris Tonga, senior, DT, BYU (Granger High)

Tonga, also named to the 2019 Nagurski watch list, has started 21 times in 39 games played for BYU. The senior has 94 career tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and five sacks as a Cougar, topped by 45 tackles and four tackles for loss with a sack last season.

• Jay Tufele, junior, DT, USC (Bingham High)

Tufele was also on the 2019 Nagurski watch list and is one of three Trojans — including fellow defensive linemen Drake Jackson and safety Talanoa Hufanga — named to this year’s preseason list.

Previous local winners (first awarded in 1993): None

Outland Trophy

Nation’s most outstanding interior lineman

• James Empey, junior, C, BYU (American Fork High)

Empey has started every game — 26 in all — at center in his first two seasons for BYU. Pro Football Focus rates the junior as college football’s No. 10 returning offensive lineman in 2020.

• Penei Sewell, junior, OT, Oregon (Desert Hills High School)

Sewell is the reigning Outland Trophy winner and has allowed just one sack in his two collegiate seasons. He’s the first Polynesian and first sophomore offensive lineman to win the Outland Trophy, and last year Sewell earned the top grade for an offensive lineman in Pro Football Focus history (since 2014).

• Khyiris Tonga, senior, DT, BYU (Granger High)

BYU is one of 17 schools with two players on this year’s Outland Trophy watch list and one of six schools to have both an offensive and defensive lineman on the list.

• Jay Tufele, junior, DT, USC (Bingham High)

Tufele earned All-Pac-12 first-team honors in 2019, one year after taking home Freshman All-American first team accolades in 2018.

Previous local winners (first awarded in 1946): Merlin Olsen, Utah State (Logan High), 1961; Jason Buck, BYU, 1986; Mohammed Elewonibi, BYU, 1989; Penei Sewell, Oregon (Desert Hills), 2019

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Utah Utes linebacker Devin Lloyd (20) runs for a touchdown after intercepting a pass during a football game against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore., on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. Utah won 52-7.

Butkus Award

Nation’s best linebacker

• Devin Lloyd, junior, LB, Utah

Lloyd excelled in his first season as a starter in 2019, leading the Utes with 91 tackles. He earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors and was second on the team with 6.5 sacks and second with 11 tackles for loss while starting all 14 games.

Previous local winners (first awarded in 1985): None

Paycom Jim Thorpe Award

Best defensive back in college football

No locals on watch list

Previous local winners (first awarded in 1986): None

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Brigham Young Cougars tight end Matt Bushman (89) runs after a catch against the Washington Huskies in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019.

John Mackey Award

Nation’s most outstanding tight end

• Matt Bushman, senior, TE, BYU

Bushman, who chose to forgo entering the NFL following his junior season, made the Mackey Award watch list for the third straight year. The three-year starter has 125 career receptions for 1,719 yards and nine touchdowns, including 47 catches for a career-best 688 yards and four touchdowns during the 2019 season.

Previous local winners (first awarded in 2000): None

Biletnikoff Award

Nation’s most outstanding college football receiver

No locals on watch list

Previous local winners (first awarded in 1994): None

Doak Walker Award

Nation’s premier college running back

• Lopini Katoa, junior, RB, BYU (American Fork High)

Katoa was named to Doak Walker preseason watch list for the second straight season. He started four games for BYU in 2019 and had 85 carries for 358 yards and four touchdowns while finishing the season with a team-best 853 all-purpose yards, averaging 71.7 yards per game.

• Jaylen Warren, senior, RB, Utah State (Snow College and East High)

Warren enters his senior year as the headliner of the Aggies’ running back group. Last year, he had 112 carries for 569 yards and five touchdowns — averaging 5.1 yards per carry — while adding 15 receptions for 182 yards in his first season in Logan as a JUCO transfer.

Previous local winners (first awarded in 1990): Luke Staley, BYU, 2001

Davey O’Brien Award

Nation’s best college quarterback

No locals on watch list

Previous local winners (first awarded in 1981): Jim McMahon, BYU (Roy High), 1981; Steve Young, BYU, 1983; Ty Detmer, BYU, 1990 and 1991

Ravell Call, Deseret News

USC Trojans defensive lineman Jay Tufele gets ready to take the field against the Utah Utes during NCAA football in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018.

Bednarik Award

College defensive player of the year

• Jay Tufele, junior, DT, USC (Bingham High)

Tufele had 42 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a pass deflection while starting all 13 games last season. He made the Bednarik Award watch list last season as well.

Previous local winners (first awarded in 1995): None

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Schedule of upcoming preseason award watch lists:

• July 22: Lou Groza Award and Ray Guy Award
• July 23: Paul Hornung Award and Wuerffel Trophy
• July 24: Maxwell Award

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