Malone lands on Nagurski watch list
WKU junior defensive lineman Deangelo Malone (10) celebrates making a stop during the game against MTSU in L.T. Smith Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019.
July 27, 2021
The 2021 Conference USA preseason Defense of Player of the Year, senior edge rusher DeAngelo Malone, was named to the Nagurski Trophy Watch List, an award given to the best defensive player in collegiate football, on Tuesday morning.
Malone has not stopped racking up preseason awards this offseason, being named to the C-USA First Team by multiple outlets while also being named to the Chuck Bednarik award watch list a little over a week ago.
The 2019 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year made the C-USA First Team for the second consecutive season. The 2020 season saw him accumulate 71 tackles along with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Malone is on pace to break two Hilltopper records during the 2021 season. He broke the FBS-era sack record last season on Nov. 14, 2020 and he will enter the year six sacks short of WKU’s all-time sack record held by Sherrod Coates (30) and one-half tackle for loss behind Andrew Jackson’s 43.
The full watch list can be found here.
Football reporter Wyatt Sparkman can be reached at steve.sparkman280@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @wyattsparkman3.
