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Trio of Oregon defenders added to Bronko Nagurski Award watch list
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- Trio of Oregon defenders added to Bronko Nagurski Award watch list
On Monday, Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was named to The Maxwell Award watch list, an award given to the best all-around player in college football. Three more Duck received prestigious preseason honors as well on Tuesday, as cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. , safety Koi Perich and defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington were named to the Bronko Nagurski Award watch list.
The Bronko Nagurski Award has been an annual honor since 1993, awarded to the top defensive player in college football. Recent winners include Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (2025), South Carolina EDGE Kyle Kennard (2024) and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (2023). No Duck has ever won the award.
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But with a trio of stars highlighted on the watch list, there's a chance that one of them blasts ahead of the rest and becomes a leading candidate to be the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Award winner.
Finney and Washington will each be heading into their second seasons as starters, as both stepped into big roles early on and excelled, flashing NFL-caliber talent along the way. While Finney still has one season of eligibility remaining after the 2026 season, Washington passed on the 2026 NFL Draft to run it back one more time in Eugene. The Ducks ' defense will certainly be better because of it.
The defense also was aided mightily by the transfer of Perich, who began his first two seasons with the Minnesota Golden Gophers . During that time, he emerged as a playmaker from the safety, kickoff return and punt return spots. With a portion of his workload now off his plate in a much more talented defense, we could see even more of the high-level play that Perich showcased as a Freshman All-American in 2024.
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With Finney, Perich and Washington leading the way this fall, the Oregon defense is shaping up to be one of the best in the nation whether one of the three wins the Bronko Nagurski Award or not.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Trio of Oregon defenders added to Bronko Nagurski Award watch list
