PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Four American Athletic Conference football players have been named to the preseason watch lists for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented to the top defensive back in college football.
The American players on the watch list were Cincinnati safety Zach Edwards, UConn cornerback Jamar Summers, USF cornerback Deatrick Nichols and Temple cornerback Sean Chandler.
Edwards earned honorable mention all-conference honors in 2015 after he finished as Cincinnati’s second-leading tackler. He had 94 total tackles to go with three interceptions and a forced fumble and enters the 2016 season as Cincinnati’s active career leader in tackles (288) and interceptions (seven).