Kansas State senior offensive tackle Dalton Risner and senior cornerback Duke Shelley have been named to the watch lists for the Outland Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy, respectively, according to a release from K-State.
Risner, a 2017 First Team All-American, is on the Outland Trophy watch list as the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman for a second-straight year. This year’s list consists of 82 players, including 23 offensive tackles.
Shelley is a preseason candidate for the Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding defensive player for a third-straight season. It is the first time in school history a Wildcat has been up for the Nagurski Trophy three times in a career.
Aside from earning First Team All-American honors last year from Pro Football Focus (PFF), Risner was also a second-team pick from CBSSports.com. The Wiggins, Colorado, product started all 12 regular-season games at right tackle and graded out at a 98.9 mark on pass blocking efficiency to tie for the fourth highest among FBS tackles, according to PFF.
A 2018 Preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league’s media, Risner led the Wildcats to a tie for third place in school history in rushing yards per carry (4.98) a season ago, while they finished seventh in program history with 2,584 total rushing yards.
Shelley is a mainstay at cornerback, starting 30 games over the last three seasons. The Tucker, Georgia, product enter senior season tied for fourth in school history in career interception-return touchdowns with two, including one last year at Texas Tech to earn Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following the Wildcats’ 42-35 overtime win.
Shelley ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 13 passes defended as he went on to earn Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches. He finished fifth on the team with 56 tackles, including a season-high seven at both Texas and Kansas.
