Bronko Nagurski Award Watch List: Odds For Best Defensive Player of 2024-25 College Football Season

After two straight seasons where Will Anderson Jr. of Georgia won the trophy, the college football world saw a new winner of the Bronko Nagurski Award in 2023, as Xavier Watts of Notre Dame took home the honor after the safety snagged seven interceptions and made 52 tackles for the Fighting Irish.

This year, Watts returns to try and repeat as the award’s winner, while outsiders like Harold Perkins out of LSU, who has 147 tackles, 26.0 tackles for loss and 13.0 sacks to his name in 82 games in Baton Rouge, look to add their name to the distinguished list of athletes that have won the award over the years.

With a full week of college football action under our belts, BetTennessee.com – where you’ll find the best Tennessee sportsbook promo codes upon signing up – wanted to get a sense for which players could take home this year’s Bronko Nagurski Award.

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses

Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in TN. Gambling Problem? Call or Text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

2024-25 Bronko Nagurski Award (Best Defensive Player) Winner Odds

Player	College	Odds	Percentage Chance
JT Tuimoloau (Defensive End)	Ohio State	+900	10.0%
Xavier Watts (Safety)	Notre Dame	+1000	9.1%
Will Johnson (Cornerback)	Michigan	+1000	9.1%
Dylan Stewart (Linebacker)	South Carolina	+1100	8.3%
Malaki Starks (Safety)	Georgia	+1100	8.3%
Jackson Woodard (Linebacker)	UNLV	+1200	7.7%
Caleb Downs (Safety)	Ohio State	+1200	7.7%
Jay Higgins (Linebacker)	Iowa	+1500	6.3%
Ashton Gillotte (Defensive End)	Louisville	+1500	6.3%
James Pearce (Defensive End)	Tennessee	+1500	6.3%
Harold Perkins (Linebacker)	LSU	+1500	6.3%
The Field	-	+500	16.7%

These odds are exclusive to BetTennessee.com, though Tennessee betting apps have many other ways to wager on college football.

Who Will Win Bronko Nagurski Award in 2024?

Right now, our leader in the Nagurski Award clubhouse through one week of the CFB regular season is J.T. Tuimoloau of the Ohio State Buckeyes, who had three tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in the team’s 52-6 rout of Akron on Saturday. Tuimoloau is our leader to win the defensive award right now, at +900, ranking ahead of Watts out of Notre Dame and Will Johnson of the Michigan Wolverines, each of whom are listed at +1000. Throw in South Carolina linebacker Dylan Stewart and Georgia safety Malaki Starks at +1100 each and UNLV linebacker and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at +1200 apiece and you have this week’s top suitors for the Bronko Nagurski Award.

Longshots to keep an eye on include Jay Higgins of Iowa, Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte, Tennessee DE James Pearce and LSU linebacker Harold Perkins, all of whom are listed at +1500 to win the Nagurski after Week 1 of the CFB regular season. See our Tennessee Volunteers football odds for more on the Vols' season.

USA Today Network photo by Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel

Bronko Nagurski Award FAQ

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the best defensive player in college football, essentially the defensive equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. It is awarded by The Football Writers Association of America.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented to the winner by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the award banquet and ceremony is held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 2023 Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet was held Dec. 4, 2023.

The 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner was safety Xavier Watts from Notre Dame, who makes an appearance on the 2024 Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list. The first award watch list was released with 75 players as candidates going into the 2024 season.

Author

Christopher Boan

@cgboan

Christopher Boan writes for BetTennessee.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.