Nevada’s Dom Peterson selected to Nagurski, Outland Trophy preseason watch lists

Nevada defensive end Dom Peterson, arguably the team’s best player heading into 2020, continues to keep stacking up preseason awards.

The stout force up front was selected to the preseason watch lists for both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Outland Trophy, the Football Writers Association of America announced Tuesday.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s top defensive player and the Outland Trophy goes to the nation’s top lineman (includes both offensive or defensive).

He is one of 98 defensive standouts to be selected to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list and is one of four to make the list from the Mountain West. The other three conference players selected were Cameron Thomas (San Diego State), Justin Rice (Fresno State) and Kekaula Kaniho (Boise State). For the Outland Trophy, he is one of 85 to earn the honor nationally and one of seven from the conference.

Peterson was named to the All-Mountain first team as a sophomore last season. He is the conference’s leading returning sacks (9.0) and tackles-for-loss (15.0) leader from 2019. Peterson was the Wolf Pack’s top defensive lineman last year.

The 6-foot-0, 295-pound lineman recorded at least one tackle-for-loss in all but one game in 2019. His best game came in a 21-10 win over New Mexico, where he recorded four solo tackles, three tackles-for-loss and two sacks. Peterson was named to the preseason All-Mountain West first team by Athlon Sports last month.

The winner of the 2020 Bronko Nagurski Trophy presented by LendingTree as the National Defensive Player of the Year will be chosen from five finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.

The recipient of the 75th Outland Trophy will be announced in early December. The official presentation to the winner will be made in Omaha, Neb., at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, scheduled for Jan. 13, 2021.

Here are list of Wolf Pack players to garner preseason watch list honors:

• Dom Peterson, DL - Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy, Nagurski Trophy
• Toa Taua, RB - Doak Walker Award
• Elijah Cooks, WR - Biletnikoff Award