Ulofoshio, McDuffie Provide UW with Double-Play Combo on Awards
When Edefuan Ulofoshio and Trent McDuffie take the field for the University of Washington defensive unit, one plays in front of the other.
Lately, though, the Husky linebacker and cornerback have stood side by side.
When it comes to national awards consideration, you don't get one without the other. It's a dead heat.
On Tuesday, Ulofoshio and McDuffie each were named to the 90-player watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy — given to the nation's most outstanding defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America.
Eight days earlier, this Husky sophomore pair were selected to the 90-player watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
That's right, this one likewise is bestowed on the country's top defender.
It's not clear who was tougher, Nagurski or Bednarik? The University of Minnesota and Chicago Bears bad boy or the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Eagles mean man?
The same goes for Ulofoshio and McDuffie, two guys who can run all over the field for the Huskies and really hit people.
Each one was chosen second-team All-Pac-12 in 2020, known for their tackling ability.
The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Ulofoshio, according to Pro Football Focus, is the nation's top linebacker. He recently was named to the Butkus Award watch list along with the UW's injured edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui, sharing in an accolade passed around to determine the nation's foremost linebacker.
McDuffie, who carries a 5-foot-11 and 195-pound frame, is considered one of the two most draftable corners in the next NFL draft, according to some experts. He recently received a spot on the watch list for the Thorpe Award, which goes to the most outstanding defensive back coast to coast.
Ulofoshio and McDuffie.
McDuffie and Ulofoshio.
They come as a package deal.
In the heat of the battle, opposing offenses will have trouble telling them apart. They'll have great difficulty determining who's coming from where, especially if McDuffie and Ulofoshio receive instructions to get upfield and make people uncomfortable.
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