Multiple Alabama players named to Outland, Nagurski Trophy watch lists

Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson makes a tackle against Georgia. Photo By Cedric Mason - Touchdown Alabama

Several Alabama football players have been named to the Outland and Nagurski Trophy watch lists.

On Tuesday, offensive linemen, Parker Brailsford, Kadyn Proctor and Jaeden Roberts, were named to the Outland Trophy watch list. The award is given to the nation’s top interior lineman.

Six Crimson Tide players have won this award previously. The most recent winner was Alex Leatherwood in 2020.

Brailsford, a redshirt junior center, is regarded as one of the best returning centers in the country, and he did not allow a single sack in 777 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Proctor is entering his third season as the starter at left tackle. He is one of the biggest linemen in the country, standing at 6-foot-7 and listed at 369 lbs.  Draft analysts have Proctor up toward the top of their mock drafts.

Roberts, a redshirt senior, started 12 games at guard last year for Alabama, surrendering one sack in 253 pass blocking attempts, according to Pro Football Focus.

All three linemen contributed to a rushing attack that scored 41 times and averaged 173.8 rushing yards a game last season.

Semifinalists for the Outland will be selected on Nov. 19 with three finalists announced live on ESPN on Nov. 25. The 2025 winner will be honored at the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 11.

On the defensive side of the ball, Alabama’s Tim Keenan III, LT Overton and Deontae Lawson were named to the Nagurski Trophy watch list, an award given to the nation’s top defender.

Keenan is a presence in the middle for Alabama and is regarded as one of the best returning defensive linemen in the nation by Pro Football Focus. According to them, Keenan had a 90.1 run defense grade last year, the sixth-best mark among all interior defenders.

Lawson will be ready to go this fall camp after recovering from his injury last season. The redshirt senior linebacker is a captain and made 11 starts last year before the injury. In those starts, he captured 76 tackles and two sacks as well as an interception, four pass breakups, a force fumble and a fumble recovery.

In 2024, Overton led the Crimson Tide in quarterback hurries with nine. According to Pro Football Focus, he led the team in pressures, and he’ll look to convert more of those into sacks in 2025. Overton played in every game last season, making four starts. He finished the year with 42 tackles and two sacks.

The last Crimson Tide player to win this award was Will Anderson Jr. in 2021 and 2022.

The Football Writers Association of America and Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists in mid-to-late November. The winner will be revealed at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec. 8 in Charlotte, N.C.

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