The NCAA and Sun Belt Conference have named these 10 football players to prestigious preseason watch lists based on their standout performances in the 2023 season.
Senior quarterback Joey Aguilar has been named to the watch list for the Manning Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Maxwell Award.
The Manning Award was created in honor of Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning. It is the only quarterback award that takes the player’s postseason performances into account.
Aguilar’s postseason history includes a Cure Bowl MVP Award which he captured after a victory over the Miami RedHawks with 211 passing yards and one rushing touchdown.
The Davey O’Brien Award recognizes the top returning quarterbacks in the nation. Aguilar is the only returning quarterback to have at least 3,700 passing yards and 33 touchdown passes last season.
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is named after the 18-year veteran and three-time MVP quarterback, and the Maxwell Award recognizes the most outstanding player in college football.
Aguilar posted six single-season school records in 2023 including most yards of total offense with 4,002 and most 200-yard passing games with 13. Aguilar also holds the 2024 Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Award and the 2023 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Award. With a plethora of piled up accomplishments and high praise on both a conference and national scale, Aguilar’s four preseason acknowledgments are well deserved.
Sophomore outside linebacker Nate Johnson has been named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded to the national defensive player of the year.
Johnson has also been named to the Lombardi Award watch list. This honor goes to the defensive or offensive lineman who best exemplifies the discipline and character of NFL head coach and five-time Super Bowl champion Vince Lombardi, while putting up outstanding performances on the field.
Johnson tied for first nationally among true freshmen with 7.5 sacks last season, propelling him to a first team Freshman All-American selection. Johnson recorded 43 tackles and 8.5 tackles for a loss, while starting in the final nine games of the season.
Junior cornerback Ethan Johnson has been named to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award watch list, given to the best defensive back in the nation.
Ethan Johnson started all 14 games for the Mountaineers where he broke up 11 passes, accumulated 56 tackles and All-Sun Belt second team honors.
Junior safety Jordan Favors complimented Ethan Johnson’s abilities in the secondary and was also added to the watch list for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.
Favors tied for the Sun-Belt lead with four interceptions to go along with eight pass breakups and 37 tackles en route to a Third-Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2023.
Senior tight end Eli Wilson has been added to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, named after who many consider the best tight end in NFL history, and presented to the nation’s best at the position.
Among Sun Belt tight ends, Wilson ranked second in catches with 34, tied for second in touchdowns with five and third in receiving yards with 350. Wilson’s spectacular play earned him an All-Sun Belt second team selection.
Graduate student Kaedin Robinson has been added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given to college football’s most outstanding receiver.
Robinson tied for the Sun Belt lead with 10 touchdown receptions while hauling in 67 catches for 905 yards last season. Robinson stood out in App State’s Cure Bowl victory where he finished with eight catches and a career-high 118 yards.
Sophomore Kanye Roberts joins the watch list for the Doak Walker Award, presented to the best running back in college football.
Roberts led the Black and Gold with seven touchdowns while rushing for 696 yards last season. Roberts’ role will likely open up this season with former starting running back Nate Noel transferring in the offseason.
Senior kicker Michael Hughes joins the watch list for the Lou Groza Award, named after the NFL Hall of Famer and four time Super Bowl Champion.
Hughes was named second-team All-American by the College Football Network in 2023. The kicker went 19 of 22 on field goals and 54-54 on extra points for a total of 111 points.
Junior running back Anderson Castle is on the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, awarded to the college football player who best serve their community with leadership on and off the gridiron.
Castle was honored with an All for App Award for being the player who best personified what it means to be an App State student-athlete. The running back volunteered with students at local elementary schools in addition to packing Operation Christmas Child Boxes for gifts in collaboration with Samaritan’s Purse.
Castle rushed for 283 yards and punched in two touchdowns in 2023. The highlight of Castle’s career came in the Cure Bowl victory where he posted a career-high 119 yards.
Senior Christian Johnstone is the only long snapper in the Sun Belt Conference named to the watch list for the Patrick Mannelly Award, presented to the best in the nation at his position.
The Mountaineers are 41-13 in the 54 games Johnstone has appeared in over his tenure with the team. Johnstone appeared in all 14 games in 2023 where he allowed zero punt blocks and contributed to a 54-yard field goal which erased a two-point deficit in a 41-40 victory at the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
