The latest award to cut down its list of candidates is the Nagurski Award, which released its list of five finalists on Thursday. The Nagursky Trophy is given annually by the Charlotte Touchdown Club to the best all-around defensive player in the country.
Only three conferences are represented among the five finalists: The SEC, ACC and Big Ten.
Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State
C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
Michael Sam, DE, Missouri
None of this year's finalists were finalists for the award last season, when Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o won. If either Dennard or Joyner win the award they would be the first defensive back to receive the honor since Oklahoma's Derrick Strait in 2003.
