Four Wisconsin Badgers added to preseason watch lists this week

The Badgers continue to be well represented on the national watch lists heading into the 2022 season.

Author:
Matt Belz
Publish date:
Jul 29, 2022 10:10 AM EDT

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With fall camp a week away, watch list season is winding down across college football, but several Wisconsin Badgers were added to some of the more prestigious preseason award lists this week.

Here is a quick rundown of which Badgers are up for additional awards entering the 2022 season.

Kicking things off, Wisconsin punter Andy Vujnovich made the Ray Guy Award Watch List this week. The annual award for the top punter in college football, Vujnovich enters the season as a genuine contender for the honor and is poised to have a big year.

Established in 2000, the award is named after former college football and NFL legend Ray Guy, who was an eight-time NFL All-Pro selection and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For Vujnovich, expectations are sky-high for the senior from Columbus High School after he set a program record a year ago by averaging 46.4 yards per punt. The mark passed former Wisconsin punter Ken DeBauche, and Vujnovich has the highest career average of any player in program history as well.

Kevin Stemke is the only Wisconsin punter to ever win the Ray Guy Award. He was the inaugural winner back in 2000.

Nose tackle Keeanu Benton and center Joe Tippmann also got in on the action this week, as both made the 2022 Outland Trophy Watch List.

The Outland Trophy is the third oldest award, dating back to 1946, and is presented annually to the top lineman in college football. The award can be won by offensive linemen or defensive linemen, and Wisconsin is one of the only schools with a representative from each side of the football to make the preseason watch list.

Now a redshirt junior, Tippmann enters the 2022 season as arguably Wisconsin's top offensive lineman after starting 11 games for the Badgers and earning honorable mention All-Conference honors a year ago.

For Benton, the senior nose tackle is a three-year starter for the Badgers and is a disruptive force up front in Jim Leonhard's defense. The Janesville (Wis.) product was a second-team All-Conference pick last season, and he has taken on a leadership role this off-season.

Both players are generating NFL Draft buzz entering the year, and are two of the more important pieces on the roster.

Former Wisconsin greats Joe Thomas (2006) and Gabe Carimi (2010) are each previously won the Outland Trophy.

Benton and teammate Nick Herbig were busy with Big Ten Media Days this week, but that did not stop them from making another impressive watch list for the 2022 season.

The duo made the Bronko Nagurski Watch List, an award annually given to the best defensive player in college football since 1993.

Named after former Chicago Bears linebacker Bronko Nagurkski, the Badgers have never had an award winner in this category but have two preseason watch list members this season.

Herbig enters 2022 as a two-year starter after earning a starting spot as a true freshman in 2020. He finished third on the team with 64 tackles last season, 14.5 of which went for a loss and a team-high nine sacks. He also recovered two fumbles and broke up four passes.

Here is a complete breakdown of which Badgers are up for annual awards to date: