Penn State's preseason award recognition added three new names to a growing list on Monday.
Penn State's preseason watch list contingent grew by three on Monday.
Announced via press releases, linebackers Jesse Luketa and Brandon Smith have been named to the Butkus Award Watch List while fifth-year senior safety Jaquan Brisker has been named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. Brisker has also been included as a preseason candidate for the Bednarik Award.
A watch list that includes 51 candidates, Penn State's representation of two players joins only seven other programs to have two-or-more candidates picked by the Butkus Award this preseason. Penn State's linebackers are also the only pair to be represented in the Big Ten with more than one candidate.
Whether or not Penn State's two linebackers both play the position this season is another matter entirely, however.
Though Luketa missed the entirety of Penn State's spring practices while rehabilitating from offseason surgery, the senior is expected to compete with Ellis Brooks for the starting Mike linebacker job this preseason and appear in a hybrid role at defensive end.
"Jesse is practicing some at defensive end," defensive coordinator Brent Pry said this June. "What that role is going to look like, I don’t know yet, but we’re certainly going to experiment with it like we did with Micah some, and put him on the line of scrimmage. He’s one of those hybrid players, just like Micah. He’s one of those guys who’s got rush ability but looks pretty good playing from a two-point [stance] and playing at the second level.
"Jesse’s best plays last year were when he was in the box. He’s such a physical guy. He’s got great strength. And we’re going to try to maximize what he does well, which was the second level in the box and his rush ability."
Joining Luketa on the watch list, Smith returns for a junior season with the Nittany Lions having made the switch to the weak side Will linebacker position this spring. He finished the 2020 campaign with 37 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, two sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Additionally, Brisker's preseason watch list recognition continues to grow with his naming to the Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List on Monday. Annually awarded to the best defensive back in the country, Brisker is included with a preliminary list of 40 top DBs following his All-Big Ten third-team selection last year.
*******
• Talk about this article inside The Lions Den
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue-White Illustrated
• Follow us on Twitter: @BWIonRivals, @NateBauerBWI, @RivalsSnyder, @DavidEckert98, @GregPickel, @ThomasFrankCarr
• Follow us on Instagram
• Like us on Facebook
