When the college football season opens in early September, Arizona State will return 17 starters from last year's 10-win team.
All 17 are expected to contribute in a big way this season, but some more than others, as eight Sun Devils have been selected to various preseason award watch lists.
Most notably, quarterback Mike Bercovici and wide receiver D.J. Foster earned spots on the Maxwell Award watch list. The Maxwell Award is given to college football's player of the year.
Defensive back Jordan Simone appeared on two separate watch lists, once for the Nagurski Award and again for the Thorpe Award. The Nagurski Award is given to the national defensive player of the year while the Thorpe Award zeroes in on the nation's most outstanding defensive back.
Offensive lineman Nick Kelly was also named to two watch lists, the Outland Trophy and the Rimington Trophy. The Outland Trophy is for the nation's most outstanding interior lineman while the Rimington Trophy is awarded to the nation's top center.
Here are all of Arizona State's players who made their way onto an award watch list:
Butkus Award (nation's most oustanding linebacker): Antonio Longino
Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year): Lloyd Carrington, Jordan Simone
Thorpe Award (nation's most outstanding defensive back): Simone
Outland Trophy (nation's most outstanding interior lineman): Nick Kelly, Christian Westerman
Groza Award (nation's top placekicker): Zane Gonzalez
Rimington Award (nation's top center): Kelly
Maxwell Award (player of the year): Mike Bercovici, D.J. Foster
Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year): Carrington
