Bronko Nagurski Trophy puts South Carolina football linebacker on preseason watch list

South Carolina football players Rocket Sanders (Maxwell Award/Offensive Player) and Hunter Rogers (Patrick Mannelly Award/Long Snapper) were included on preseason watch lists on Monday, and they were joined by another Gamecock on Tuesday.

The Football Writers Association of America released their 75-player preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and USC linebacker Debo Williams was among the nominees.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given annually to the top defensive player in college football and is named for Bronislaw "Bronko" Nagurski, a Chicago Bears and Minnesota Golden Gophers legend who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. Williams is one of 21 linebackers on the preseason watch list. The 2023 winner, Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts, is also on the list.

Last year, after finishing in the top-3 in the SEC in solo tackles and total stops, Williams was an All-SEC performer and an Honorable Mention All-American. He has been included on several preseason All-SEC and All-American lists this summer, and if things go well for him this fall, he will hear his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The entire Bronko Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list can be seen below:

Bear Alexander, Southern Cal Trojans defensive tackle
Jahdae Barron, Texas Longhorns safety
Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon Ducks linebacker
Tyler Batty, BYU Cougars defensive end
CJ Bazile, Liberty Flames linebacker
Billy Bowman, Oklahoma Sooners safety
Cobee Bryant, Kansas Jayhawks cornerback
Denzel Bruke, Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback
Abdul Carter, Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end
Sebastian Castro, Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback
Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State Cyclones safety
Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati Bearcats defensive tackle
Howard Cross, Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive tackle
Tacario Davis, Arizona Wildcats cornerback
Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes safety
Joe Evans, Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners defensive end
Joshua Farmer, Florida State Seminoles defensive tackle
Beau Freyler, Iowa State Cyclones safety
Ashton Gillotte, Louisville Cardinals defensive end
Mason Graham, Michigan Wolverines defensive tackle
Brylan Green, Liberty Flames safety
Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky Wildcats cornerback
Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State Broncos defensive end
Jason Henderson, Old Dominion Monarchs linebacker
Jay Higgins, Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker
Anthony Hill, Texas Longhorns linebacker
Maxen Hook, Toledo Rockets safety
Jack Howell, Colorado State Rams safety
Lee Hunter, UCF Golden Knights defensive tackle
Travis Hunter, Colorado Buffaloes cornerback
Landon Jackson, Arkansas Razorbacks defensive end
Nick Jackson, Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker
Patrick Jenkins, Tulane Green Wave defensive tackle
Nate Johnson, Appalachian State Mountaineers linebacker
Will Johnson, Michigan Wolverines cornerback
Ike Larsen, Utah State Aggies safety
Deontae Lawson, Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker
Jacob Manu, Arizona Wildcats linebacker
Chandler Martin, Memphis Tigers linebacker
Nick Martin, Oklahoma State Cowboys linebacker
Francisco Mauigoa, Miami Hurricanes linebacker
Smael Mondon, Georgia Bulldogs linebacker
Malachi Moore, Alabama Crimson Tide safety
Xander Mueller, Northwestern Wildcats linebacker
Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon Ducks cornerback
Walter Noland, Ole Miss Rebels defensive tackle
CJ Nunnally, Akron Zips defensive end
Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State Cowboys linebacker
James Pearce, Tennessee Volunteers defensive end/linebacker
Aeneas Peeples, Virginia Tech Hokies defensive tackle
Harold Perkins, LSU Tigers linebacker/defensive end
Colin Ramos, Navy Midshipmen linebacker
Shavon Revel, East Carolina Pirates cornerback
Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina Tar Heels defensive end
Matt Salopek, Miami (OH) RedHawks linebacker
Jonas Sanker, Virginia Cavaliers safety
Nic Scourton, Texas A&M Aggies defensive end
Malaki Starks, Georgia Bulldogs safety
Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma Sooners linebacker
Junior Tafuna, Utah Utes defensive tackle
Dillon Thieneman, Purdue Boilermakers safety
JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end
Shemar Turner, Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman
Jaden Voisin, South Alabama Jaguars safety
Deone Walker, Kentucky Wildcats defensive tackle
Johnny Walker, Missouri Tigers defensive end
Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern Eagles linebacker
Xavier Watts, Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety
Maurice Westmoreland, UTEP Miners defensive end
Debo Williams, South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker
Mykel Williams, Georgia Bulldogs defensive end
Tyleik Williams, Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle
Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin Badgers safety
Jackson Woodard, UNLV Runnin' Rebels linebacker
Peter Woods, Clemson Tigers defensive end/defensive tackle