A pair of Wyoming Cowboy Football players were named to pre-season watch lists to open up the month of August.
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced on Tuesday the Preseason Watch List for the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy. A total of 94 of the top defensive players in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) were named to this year’s watch list. University of Wyoming junior linebacker Easton Gibbs was one of those individuals.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy honors the nation’s best defensive player in FBS football each season. This year’s preseason list includes 94 defensive standouts from 69 different FBS football programs. Gibbs is one of 29 linebackers selected to this year’s watch list. There are 19 cornerbacks, 19 safeties, 16 defensive ends and 13 defensive tackles on the ‘23 preseason list.
Gibbs was selected as the 2023 Mountain West Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in voting by MW media at Mountain West Media Days in July. He has also been named a ‘23 Preseason First Team All-Mountain selection by MW media, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.
In 2022, he became the third Wyoming linebacker to earn First Team All-Mountain West honors in the last four consecutive seasons, following current Cincinnati Bengal Logan Wilson (2019) and current Jacksonville Jaguar Chad Muma (2020 and ’21).
- Outland Trophy Watch List
Casper’s Jordan Bertagnole was one of five Mountain West interior linemen to be named to the Outland Trophy Watch List.
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced on Tuesday the Preseason Watch List for the 2023 Outland Trophy.
The Outland Trophy honors the nation’s best interior lineman each season. This year’s preseason list includes 91 linemen from 65 different FBS football programs. Bertagnole is one of 24 defensive tackles named to this year’s watch list. There are 31 offensive tackles on this year’s preseason list to go with 24 offensive guards and 12 centers.
Bertagnole was named to the 2023 Mountain West Conference Preseason All-Conference Team as selected by Mountain West media at conference media days in July. He has also been named to 2023 Preseason All-Mountain West First Teams by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.
A native of Casper, Wyo., Bertagnole had an outstanding 2022 season. He recorded 51 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in 11 games during the 2022 season. He was forced to miss the Boise State and Fresno State games late in the season due to injury, but returned for the Arizona Bowl. Bertagnole was also credited with four quarterback hurries and he forced two fumbles on the season.
