Mississippi State senior linebacker Richie Brown was selected to the initial watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in college football.
Brown is one of 88 players on the watch list which also consists of 29 linebackers and 27 from the Southeastern Conference.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder from Long Beach led the Bulldogs with 109 tackles and 6.5 sacks last season. He also made 13 tackles for loss, three pass deflections and an interception.
Five finalists will be selected for the award on Nov. 17 and the winner will be presented the Nagurski Trophy on Dec.