AUBURN, Ala. – The preseason accolades continue to pile up for Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown who made the Outland Trophy watch list on Tuesday.
The junior was one of 82 players named to the preseason watch list, honoring the nation's best interior lineman on either side of the ball. He also made an appearance on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list on Tuesday, and last week, he was nominated to the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team.
Last season, Brown finished with 56 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He's played in every game since he arrived at Auburn in 2016, and Mel Kiper Jr. has him as the No. 15 overall prospect on his latest 2019 Big Board.
"Long and powerful at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, he's coming off a breakthrough campaign and could be truly dominating as a true junior," Kiper wrote. "When a guy like this isn't one of the top couple of defensive tackles early on in the process, it shows the potential depth at the top of the D-line class."
Up to seven semifinalists for the 2018 Outland Trophy will be named on Nov. 14, and the three finalists will be announced on Nov. 19. The winner will then be announced live from The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 6.
Auburn has had two previous Outland Trophy winners – Zeke Smith (1958) and Tracy Rocker (1988).
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf