It’s watch list season, and we all know the deal with watch lists. “These guys had good years last year,” the organizations say, “now pay attention to us because it’s the dead of July.”
Usually the watch lists simply consist of every FBS player who started at that position a year ago -- or, in the case of positions with multiple starters, the best returning starter from each team. Which makes sense. No one’s being excluded here.
And then there’s the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The Good Works team has nothing to do with what happens on the field -- its 22-member team will be released in September. “The student-athletes nominated for this esteemed award embody the true spirit of teamwork and selflessness, donating their limited free time to helping and serving others,” the press release reads.
But, still, the Good Works Team and its sponsor need publicity just like everyone else -- and, thus, we have a list of the 146 best dudes in college football.
“After looking at the bios of the 146 nominees we received for 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, it really shows that there are great football student-athletes all over this country who just don’t care what happens between the sidelines, but they also care about their community and giving back to others,” AFCA executive director Todd Berry said in a statement. “The AFCA has been proud to partner with Allstate these past 10 years to honor football players who give more of themselves to help others in need.”
View the 146 watch list members below.
Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) | |
Arizona State – Tashon Smallwood | Arkansas – Frank Ragnow |
Arkansas State – Blaise Taylor | California – Raymond Davison |
Auburn – Daniel Carlson | Central Florida – Shaquem Griffin |
Baylor – Taylor Young | Connecticut – Vontae Diggs |
Boise State – Brett Rypien | Georgia – Aaron Davis |
Bowling Green – Nate Locke | Houston – Steven Dunbar |
BYU – Fred Warner | Illinois – Nick Allegretti |
Clemson – Christian Wilkins | Kansas – Joe Dineen, Jr |
Colorado State – Zack Golditch | Kentucky – Courtney Love |
Duke – Gabe Brandner | Louisiana-Lafayette – Grant Horst |
East Carolina – Jimmy Williams | Louisville – Lamar Jackson |
Florida State – Mavin Saunders | Maryland – Adam Greene |
Georgia Tech – Matthew Jordan | Memphis – Spencer Smith |
Georgia Southern – Myles Campbell | Miami – Demetrius Jackson |
Indiana – Rashard Fant | Minnesota – Eric Carter |
Kansas State – Dalton Risner | Mississippi – Javon Patterson |
LSU – Danny Etling | Missouri – Corey Fatony |
Marshall – Ryan Yurachek | Nebraska – Chris Weber |
Middle Tennessee – Brent Stockstill | Nevada – Austin Corbett |
Mississippi State – Gabe Myles | North Carolina – Austin Proehl |
North Carolina State – A.J. Cole, III | Notre Dame – Tyler Newsome |
Northwestern – Justin Jackson | Oklahoma – Nick Basquine |
Ohio State – J.T. Barrett | Pittsburgh – Brian O’Neill |
Oklahoma State – Mason Rudolph | South Alabama – Tre Alford |
Old Dominion – Josh Marriner | USC – Jordan Austin |
Penn State – Brandon Smith | Tennessee – Todd Kelly, Jr |
Rutgers – Sebastian Joseph | Texas – Naashon Hughes |
San Jose State – Nate Velichko | UTEP – Ryan Metz |
SMU – Justin Lawler | Toledo – Cody Thompson |
Stanford – Harrison Phillips | Tulsa – Willie Wright |
Syracuse – Zack Mahoney | Utah – Chase Hansen |
TCU – Shaun Nixon | Virginia – Quin Blanding |
Texas A&M – Koda Martin | Wisconsin – Derrick Tindal |
Texas State – Gabe Schrade | Utah State – Jontrell Rocquemore |
Tulane – Parry Nickerson | Vanderbilt – Tommy Openshaw |
UCLA – Kenny Young | Virginia Tech – Joey Slye |
Alabama – Minkah Fitzpatrick | West Virginia – Rob Dowdy |
UAB – Shaq Jones | Western Kentucky – Marcus Ward |
Combined Divisions (FCS, II, III & NAIA) | |
Amherst College – Reece Foy | Moravian College – Nick Zambelli |
Aurora – Kurtis Chione | Murray State – Zach Shipley |
Berry College – Michael Wenclawiak | Norfolk State – Kyle Archie |
Bethel (Minn.) – Josh Dalki | North Greenville – Johnny Burch |
Butler – Isaak Newhouse | Northwestern College (Iowa) – Jacob Jenness |
Carnegie Mellon – Sam Benger | Notre Dame College – Justin Adamson |
Carson-Newman – Antonio Wimbush | Ohio Dominican – Austin Ernst |
Chadron State College – Steven Allen | Ohio Wesleyan – Jerry Harper |
Chapman – Diano Pachote | Peru State College – Gunnar Orcutt |
Colorado State-Pueblo – Zach Boyd | Princeton – Kurt Holuba |
Dakota State – Jacob Giles | Saint Augustine’s – Justin Shaw |
Davidson College – Ryan Samuels | Saint John’s (Minn.) – Will Gillach |
East Stroudsburg – Larry Mills | Samford – Deion Pierre |
Eastern Kentucky – Jeffrey Canady | South Dakota State – Jake Wieneke |
Edinboro – Ryan Stratton | Southern Arkansas – Stacy Lawrence |
Ferris State – Jake Daugherty | Southwestern Assemblies of God – Stephen Lawson |
Fordham – Manny Adeyeye | Stephen F. Austin – Marlon Walls |
Franklin & Marshall College – Tyler Schubert | Stonehill College – Jermel Wright |
Frostburg State – Jordan Procter | Susquehanna – Tommy Bluj |
Georgetown College (Ky.) – Kody Kasey | Texas A&M-Commerce – Luis Perez |
Grinnell College – Carson Dunn | Catholic U.– Patrick Vidal |
Harding – Gavin De Los Santos | The College of Wooster – Patrick Mohorcic |
Hillsdale College – Danny Drummond | U. Chicago – Chandler Carroll |
James Madison – Jonathan Kloosterman | Mount Union – Alex Louthan |
Kalamazoo College – David Vanderkloot | Puget Sound – Dwight Jackson |
Kennesaw State – Luther Jones | Saint Mary – Kyle Dougherty |
Liberty – Trey Turner | St. Thomas (Minn.) – Matt Christenson |
Manchester – Jared Bourff | South Dakota – Stetson Dagel |
Marist College – Lawrence Dickens | Wartburg College – Matt Sacia |
Mercer – Thomas Marchman | Wayne State (Mich.) – Deiontae Nicholas |
Michigan Tech – Cayman Berg-Morales | West Texas A&M – Dillon Vaughan |
Millersville (Pa.) – Kevin Wiggins | Western Carolina – Keion Crossen |
Minot State – Logan Gunderson | Western New England – Garrett Jones |
Mississippi College – Chris Manning | Wingate – Lawrence Pittman |
Montana State – Mitchell Herbert | Youngstown State – Armand Dellovade |