Alabama football places numerous players on preseason watch lists

As the 2012 season draws nearer for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, the expectations for the players who are returning are beginning to take shape. Over the course of the past few weeks, a grand total of 12 Crimson Tide players were named to preseason watch lists.

Quarterback A.J. McCarron, who will return as the starting quarterback for the second year in a row, was named to watch lists for two highly-prestigious awards. McCarron was placed on the watch list for the Maxwell Award — an award given to the most outstanding college football player in the nation — and the Manning Award, given annually to the nation’s top quarterback.

Fifth-year senior Barrett Jones was named to three preseason watch lists. Jones was named to the Lombardi Award watch list, an award given to the nation’s top linebacker or lineman. In addition, Jones was also named to the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy. Last season, Jones won the Outland Trophy and will have a chance to become only the second player in the award’s history to win the Outland Trophy twice. Dave Rimington won the award in 1981 and 1982 at Nebraksa. Jones was also named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy.

Senior linebacker Nico Johnson and junior linebacker C.J. Mosley were named to four preseason watch lists. The talented linebackers were named to the watch lists for the Lombardi Award, the Butkus Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award.

Senior defensive back Robert Lester was also honored on a number of preseason watch lists. Lester was the only Tide defensive back named to the Jim Thorpe Award’s preseason watch list. The award is given to the nation’s best defensive back. He also was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award watch lists.

Veteran offensive linemen Chance Warmack and D.J. Fluker were named to the watch list for the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy. Warmack passed up the chance to enter the NFL early for a chance to improve his draft status and anchor a Crimson Tide offensive line that should be a strong point in 2012.

Senior defensive lineman Jesse Williams was named to four preseason watch lists. The massive lineman from Brisbane, Australia was named to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award.

Junior running back Eddie Lacy, in only his first season as the starting running back, was named to two preseason watch lists. The Maxwell Award included Lacy on its preseason watch list, and the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation’s best running back and an award won by former Alabama running back Trent Richardson last season, named Lacy to its preseason watch list.

Alabama has plenty of talent returning to its roster in 2012, as is evident by the numerous names on preseason watch lists. The Tide will begin fall camp in a few weeks and continue the preparations that began in the spring for the season opener in Dallas against Michigan on September 1.