AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn cornerback D.J. James earned a spot on the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list after breaking out in 2022, his first season on The Plains.
The Nagurski Trophy is given annually to the nation's best defender. This year's watch list, consisting of 94 defensive standouts, was revealed Tuesday by the Football Writers of Association of America (FWAA).
James transferred to Auburn after playing three years at Oregon and finished with 38 tackles, eight pass break-ups and an interception in his first season with the Tigers. He was named Second Team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Per PFF, James has the third-highest grade (82.3) among returning cornerbacks in the SEC heading into the 2023 season. Last month, he was voted a Third Team selection on the 2023 Preseason Media Days All-SEC Team.
James is the eighth Auburn players to make the Nagurski Trophy Watch List since 2018, joining the likes of Derick Hall (2022), Zakoby McClain (2021), K.J. Britt (2020), Big Kat Bryant (2020), Derrick Brown (2019 and 2018), Nick Coe (2019) and Marlon Davidson (2018).
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2023 trophy on Nov. 15 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 4 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw "Bronko" Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football's most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season.
Cornerback D.J. James represents Auburn on Nagurski Trophy watch list
