Dante Stills, Charles Woods Named to Bronko Nagurski Watch List

Defensive lineman Dante Stills and cornerback Charles Woods are two of 85 players on the 2022 Bronko Nagurski watch list. The award is awarded by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to the best defensive player in college football.

Stills is coming back after declining to leave for the NFL. The defensive tackle has gotten significant praise from all corners, making multiple preseason All-American and All-Conference teams for example, and is expected to have a great season.

Last season, he had a career high in tackles for loss with 15 and tied a career high in sacks with seven. This year, he is anchoring a defensive line that figured to be the strongest unit for a defense that had to replace a lot of players at their other units, especially the secondary.

The one player they didn’t lose in their secondary is Woods who also is expected to put together a solid season. A transfer to West Virginia from Illinois State prior to last season, Woods had two interceptions despite only making four starts. He was named an honorable mention to Pro Football Focus’s All-Big 12 team last year and, like Stills, has been getting preseason recognition by multiple outlets prior to this season.

The organization will the announce finalists for the 2022 trophy on Nov. 16 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 5 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.