Skip to main content
All Sooners

Oklahoma DE Ethan Downs Lands on Another Preseason Watch List

The Lombardi Award goes to the top lineman in college football, and the Sooners have a decorated history with the award.
John E. Hoover|
Oklahoma DE Ethan Downs Lands on Another Preseason Watch List
Oklahoma DE Ethan Downs Lands on Another Preseason Watch List

In this story:

Oklahoma Sooners

NORMAN — The preseason accolades keep rolling in for Ethan Downs.

Oklahoma’s junior defensive end on Tuesday was named to the 2023 watch list for the Lombardi Award.

The Lombardi is given to the outstanding lineman — offense or defense — or linebacker in college football.

OU has a rich history with the Lombardi, with three winners in its past: Lee Roy Selmon in 1975, Tony Casillas in 1985, and Tommie Harris in 2003.

Downs is also on the preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award (top defensive player) and the Danny Wuerffel Trophy (citizenship). Downs was also named second team preseason All-Big 12 heading into the 2023 season.

A junior from Weatherford, OK, Downs led the Sooners last year with 13.5 tackles for loss and added 4.5 quarterback sacks.

The Lombardi Award, named for coaching legend Vince Lombardi, revealed its 80-man watch list Monday afternoon. The award is presented by the Rotary Club of Houston.

A mid-season watch list will be released on Oct. 13 to reflect any updates to the current list.

There are 12 players from the Big 12 on this year’s watch list: Kelvin Banks of Texas, Cooper Beebe of Kansas State, Brandon Coleman of TCU, Dontay Corleone of Cincinnati, Jaylan Ford of Texas, Zach Frazier of West Virginia, Jaylon Hutchings of Texas, Mike Novitsky of Kansas, Ja’Tavion Sanders of Texas, Kingsley Suamataia of BYU and Damonic Williams of TCU.

College Football Watch Lists

  • Mon., July 31: Maxwell Award (top player; Dillon Gabriel)
  • Tue., Aug 1: Outland Trophy (top lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player; Danny Stutsman)
  • Wed., Aug. 2: Lou Groza Award (kicker) and Ray Guy Award (punter; Luke Elzinga)
  • Thu., Aug. 3: Paul Hornung Award (all-purpose) and Wuerffel Trophy (citizenship; Ethan Downs)
  • Fri., Aug. 4: Mackey Award (tight end; Austin Stogner) and Rimington Trophy (center)
  • Mon., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award (receiver)
  • Tue., Aug. 8: Davey O'Brien Award (quarterback; Dillon Gabriel)
  • Wed., Aug. 9: Doak Walker Award (running back; Jovantae Barnes)
  • Thu., Aug. 10: Butkus Award (linebacker; Danny Stutsman) and Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back)
  • Fri., Aug. 11: Walter Camp Award (top player; Dillon Gabriel)
  • Mon., Aug. 14: Bednarik Award (defensive player; Ethan Downs)
  • Tuesday, Aug. 15: Manning Award (top quarterback, Dillon Gabriel), Lombardi Award (top lineman, Ethan Downs)

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

Share on XFollow johnehoover
Home/Football