Northern Illinois University offensive lineman Nolan Potter and safety C.J. Brown have been named to the 2022 preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, respectively, as the Football Writers Association of America announced the watch lists for those awards Tuesday.
Potter is one of 89 returning standout linemen on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball named to the Outland Trophy Watch List. A redshirt junior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Potter enters the 2022 campaign with 20 consecutive starts at right tackle and earned All Mid-American Conference honors from Pro Football Network, Pro Football Focus (PFF), Phil Steele and league coaches a year ago.
Behind Potter and his linemates, the Huskies ranked fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing offense a year ago with an average of 241.4 yards per game. In addition, NIU quarterbacks were sacked just 10 times in 14 games as the Huskies ranked second in the country in fewest sacks allowed.
“Nolan has been a staple up front for us at the right tackle position,” said NIU head coach Thomas Hammock. “He’s a guy that has grown as a leader and he’s a guy that we expect big things upfront from the right tackle position.”
Brown, a Canton, Michigan (Walled Lake Western HS) product who was named to the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Watch List earlier this week, led the Huskies in tackles in 2021 with 109 stops, 61 solo, en route to earning first team All Mid-American Conference honors. He finished the season ranked 10th in the MAC in tackles per game and had double-digit tackle totals in four games. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented to the nation’s top defender.
He was named the Defensive Player of the Game in the MAC Championship game win over Kent State after leading NIU with 10 tackles, including a sack and tackle for loss, breaking up a pass and returning his first career interception 26 yards for a touchdown to give NIU a 24-3 lead late in the third quarter.
“C.J. is a young man that has worked extremely hard from the day he’s arrived on campus,” Hammock said. “When the opportunity presented itself when Devin Lafayette went down against Georgia Tech, all he did was go out there and have 100 plus tackles this offseason. He has been one of the hardest working guys on our defense. He’s put himself in position to have a great season and I couldn’t be more excited about his development and about his potential.”
Six different Huskies have now earned recognition on six different preseason watch lists in 2022. Brown on both the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and Bronko Nagurski Award Watch Lists and Potter on the Outland Trophy list join wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee HS), who earned a spot on the Biletnikoff Award list, running backs Harrison Waylee (Johnston, Iowa/Urbandale HS) and Antario Brown (Savannah, Ga./Beach HS), who were selected to the Doak Walker Award watch list. Junior linebacker Nick Rattin (Palatine, Ill./Palatine HS) was nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
NIU opens preseason practice on Monday, August 1 with the season opener versus Eastern Illinois set for Thursday, September 1 at Huskie Stadium. Tickets for the upcoming NIU football and volleyball seasons are on sale now. Season tickets offer the best value, with football tickets priced as low as $15 per ticket with the Huskie Plan. Mini-Plans are also available, with an All-Saturday plan for the three Saturday home games for $90 and an All-Weekday plan for the season opener and two MACtion matchups against Central Michigan (Nov. 2) and Miami (Nov. 16) for $78. To purchase season tickets or mini-plans anytime, CLICK HERE or call 815-753-PACK (7225) Monday through Friday.