Duke’s Jeremy Cash and Matt Skura Each Join More Preseason Watch Lists
By Chris Brown
Duke football players are continuing to gain national attention for college football season as two Blue Devils were added to another national preseason watch list as the best players at their position in the NCAA. Center Matt Skura and safety Jeremy Cash were both recognized again, putting each of them on multiple watch lists for top awards for the upcoming season.
Duke Blue Devils
Returning starter Matt Skura was already named to the Rimington Trophy watch list for the nation’s top center and recently added a second preseason nod to the Football Writers Association of America’s Outland Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding interior offensive lineman. Skura is a redshirt senior entering his final year with the Blue Devils after starting in 27 straight games and being part of last season’s offensive line unit that was one of the best in the country allowing the fewest sacks in the ACC and the fewest tackles for loss in the NCAA.
Redshirt senior Jeremy Cash will be joining his third and fourth preseason award watch lists after already being recognized on early lists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Bednarik Award. His most recent additions are to preseason lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy given to the top collegiate defensive player and the Jim Thorpe Award given to the best defensive back in the nation. Cash will enter the season as the most highly touted Blue Devil on the roster, already earning numerous preseason All-America and All-ACC selections in addition to a projected ACC Defensive Player of the Year winner for this season.
After appearing in three consecutive bowl games, Duke Football is starting to get a lot more national recognition and the Blue Devils have placed at least one player on every preseason watch list for top awards for the 2015-2016 season announced so far, except one. These include: the Outland Trophy, the Rimington Trophy, the Nagurski Trophy, the Lott IMPACT Trophy (Cash and LB Kelby Brown who unfortunately will miss the season), the Bednarik Award (Brown and Cash), the John Mackey Award (TE Braxton Deaver), the Ray Guy Award (P Will Monday), the Lou Groza Award (K Ross Martin), and the Paul Hornung Award (S/CB/KR DeVon Edwards).
Even more preseason watch lists for college football’s top awards will be released in the coming week, so be sure to keep a look out for any more honors for Blue Devils as the season approaches. We’ll keep you updated on all of the preseason award recognition as well as any updates for the Duke football team and individual players here on Ball Durham.