2 Miami football players named to watch lists on Tuesday

Left tackle Jalen Rivers and middle linebacker Francisco Mauigoa became the fourth and fifth Miami football players named to preseason watch lists this week. Rivers was named to the Outland Trophy preseason watch list and Mauigoa to the Nagurski Award.

Mauigoa returns for his second season with Miami after leading the Hurricanes with 82 tackles and 18 tackles for loss in 2023. Mauigoa also had 7.5 sacks, 2.0 forced fumbles, 4.0 passes defended and an interception in 2023. Entering the 2024 season, Mauigoa is expected to be one of the leaders of the Miami defense.

Mauigoa was second-team All-ACC in 2023 after transferring from Washington State where he spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Mauigoa led the ACC in TFLs in 2023. During an eight-game stretch in the middle of the 2023 season, Mauigoa recorded at least one TFL.

Defensive tackle Warren Sapp in 1994 and LB Dan Morgan in 2000 are the only players to win the Nagurski Award. The Nagurski Award honors the best defensive player nationally as voted on by the Football Writers Association of America.

Rivers has played in 32 games with 23 starts in his four seasons with Miami. The ACC named Rivers second-team all-conference in 2023. Rivers could earn preseason first-team All-ACC when that is announced later this week. Mauigoa and Rivers both participated in ACC Kickoff in Charlotte last week with Miami quarterback Cam Ward.

The Outland Trophy is one of the oldest awards in college football. George Connor of Notre Dame won the first Outland Trophy in 1946. The award for the best interior lineman in college football was won by Miami defensive tackle Russell Maryland in 1990 and LT Bryant McKinnie in 2001.

Ward, Running back Damien Martinez and wide receiver Xavier Restrepo were the first three Miami players to earn spots on preseason watch lists when they were named to the Maxwell Ward preseason list on Monday. Five more preseason watch lists will be announced this week, six next week and two in two weeks.