The OU Sooner Football team has eight players on watchlists for the 2024 season before any games have been played.

Announced starting quarterback Jackson Arnold and LS Ben Anderson, punter Luke Elzinga and wide receiver Nic Anderson have each been named to one watch list.

Arnold, a sophomore, has been named to the Maxwell Trophy Watch List.  The Maxwell Trophy has been awarded since 1937 to the best player in college football.

Redshirt sophomore Anderson was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List which gives the award to the best Long napper in the nation each year.

Senior Elzinga is on the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List.  The award honors the best punter in college football each year.

Sophomore Anderson was selected for the Preseason Biletnikoff Award Watch List.  The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the season’s outstanding college football receiver regardless of position.

RB Gavin Sawchuk, So. and OL Branson Hickman, Sr, have each been named to two watch lists.  Sawchuk was named to the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and the Doak Walker Award Watch List.  Hickman was selected for the Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy watch lists.

Senior DB Billy Bowman Jr. is on four Watch Lists:  Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason, the Chuck Bednarik Award  and the AP Preseason All-America Second Team.

Senior Danny Stutsman is on ten Watch Lists.  He has been named to the Walter Camp Preseason All-America First Team, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Walter Camp Player of Year Watch List, the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, the Butkus Award Watch List, The Sporting News Preseason All-America Second Team, the ESPN Preseason All-America Team, The Athletic Preseason All-America First Team, the Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List,and the AP Preseason All-America Second Team.

The OSU Cowboys have 10 players on the preseason watch lists for the 2024 season.

Three players have been named to one watch list each.  Junior wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and senior linebacker Justin Wright are on the Comeback Player of the Year award watch list. While senior wide receiver Roshod Owens is on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award.

Senior wide receiver Brennan Pressley of Bixby has been named to both the Paul Hornung and Biletnikov Award watch lists.

Senior offensive linemen Joe Michalski and Dalton Cooper (Prague, OK) were both named to Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy watch lists.  Michalski was also named to the Rimington Trophy watch list.

OSU returning senior quarterback Alan Bowman was named to three watch lists.  He was selected for the Manning Award, the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch lists.

Junior running back sensation Ollie Gordon II who won the Doak Walker award last year has been put on the watch list for that award this year as well.  Gordon was also selected for the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Maxwell Award watch lists.

Junior linebackers Nick Martin and Collin Oliver (Oklahoma City) were both nominated for the same four honors.  They were named to the Lombardi Award, the Bednarik  Award and the Bronko Nagurski watch lists.

This year will be an interesting with all the players to follow in their games and seeing how they progress in their college careers.