Michigan State Award Watch: Seven Spartans named to Senior Bowl Watch List

Michigan State had seven senior named to the watch list for the 11th annual Reese's Senior Bowl. The seven players were among 120 total from the Big Ten to make the watch list.

MSU's seven players tied Indiana, Maryland, and Rutgers while edging out Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Purdue. All other Big Ten programs had more than seven players named to the watch list.

The Spartan players named to the watch list include:
-Jacoby Windmon (DL)
-Nick Samac -(OL)
-Tre Mosley (WR)
-Maliq Carr (TE)
-Aaron Brule (LB)
-Spencer Brown (OL)
-Simeon Barrow Jr. (DL)

Michigan State defensive lineman Jalen Sami has been named to the 2023 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award watch list.

The award, which is presented by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, is awarded on an annual basis to the “most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that epitomizes great ability and integrity.”

Sami is the only MSU player that made the watch list. Sami transferred from Colorado to MSU in May. He is going into his final year of eligibility.

Sami played in 40 games and started 32 games at Colorado. He totaled 83 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks for the Buffaloes.

The five finalists for the award will be named on Nov. 30. The winner of the award will be announced on Dec. 14.

Michigan State linebacker Cal Haladay has been added to another watch list. This time it is the Bednark Award watch list.

The Bednarik Award, handed out by the Maxwell Football Club, is annually given to the best defensive player in all of college football. The award was won last season by Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., the third Alabama player to win the award, joining cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2017 and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in 2016. No Spartan has ever won the award.

Notable other Big Ten defenders on the watch list include Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean, Michigan linebacker Junior Colson, Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin, Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimaloau, Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter, and Wisconsin linebacker Maema Njongmeta.

In 2022, Haladay led the team in tackles after being tied for first on the team in tackles in 2021. He posted 120 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery last season. He also led the Big Ten in tackles per game (10.0) and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media.

Michigan State linebacker Cal Haladay has been named to the 2023 Butkus Award preseason watch list Thursday after being named to the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list on Aug. 1.

The Butkus Award is handed out by the Butkus Foundation and is awarded to "the best linebackers in football" and "honors linebackers at three levels." In total, 51 players are named to the preseason watch list, a tribute to the award's namesake, Dick Butkus, who wore the No. 51 jersey during his pro career.

The redshirt junior is one of 12 linebackers from the Big Ten to be named to the Butkus award, the most of any conference. Iowa's Jack Campbell won the 2022 award, and the 2023 award will feature a new trophy designed by sculptor George Lundeen who also sculpted the Butkus statue outside Memorial Stadium at Illinois.

Haladay was also one of 29 linebackers and one of 15 Big Ten players on the Nagurski watch list.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is annually handed out by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and FWAA to the best defensive player in college football. This year, finalists will be announced on Nov. 15, with the winner awarded the trophy on Dec. 4 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. has taken the award home in each of the past two years. Other notable players to win the award are former Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, former Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, former Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and former Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson.

Haladay is entering his fourth season at MSU. He recorded an impressive 96 tackles, five tackles for loss, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery in his breakout 2021 campaign as a redshirt freshman. Also, one of his interceptions sealed a Peach Bowl win for the Spartans (see above for his 2022 stats).

Coming into the 2023 season, Haladay headlines a group of linebackers that consists of Jacoby Windmon, Aaron Brule, Darius Snow (if healthy) and others.

Last week at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, Haladay spoke about the defense bouncing back in 2023 after an injury-riddled 2023 campaign that contributed the Spartans' disappointing 5-7 record.

“The defense is going to have to step it up,” Haladay said about the 2023 unit. “We’re going to have to play that much better than we did last year and we all know that.”

Michigan State began fall camp this week. Players reported on Wednesday, Aug. 2, and the first practice took place on Thursday, Aug. 3. Stay tuned to Spartans Illustrated for full coverage of fall camp.

Michigan State center Nick Samac has made the Rimington Trophy watch list ahead of the 2023 season kicking off in a few weeks. The Rimington Trophy is awarded annually to the best center in college football.

Samac is joined by four other Big Ten centers on the Rimington Trophy watch list: Iowa’s Logan Jones, Michigan’s Drake Nugent, Nebraska’s Ben Scott and Purdue’s Gus Hartwig.

Samac has played in 38 games as a Spartan. He’s made 22 starts including all 12 games in the 2022 season. Samac was named honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2022.

The redshirt senior did not participate in MSU’s first fall camp practice on Thursday with an undisclosed injury. It is unknown if it is a lingering issue or not.

Michigan State wide receiver Tre Mosley is receiving attention in the preseason for his skill on the field but also off the field. He was named to The Wuerffel Trophy Watch List which is "college football's premier award for community service."

The redshirt senior had a career-high 530 receiving yards in 2021. He is the leading returning receiver on the team this season after catching 35 passes for 359 yards and four touchdowns in 2022.

Mosley is a leader and he is comfortable doing so. He represented the Spartans at Big Ten Media Days last week.

"I looked at it and took it in straight on because that's something that's nothing new to me," Mosley said about leading the team. "I've been a leader my whole life, from little league to high school to college, it's just now I have to be more vocal and just go the extra mile, which I'm very comfortable doing. And I like to bring other guys with me, so it's not a challenge for me at all."

At least equally as impressive is his commitment to community service off the field. In July, Mosley was also nominated for the AFCA Good Works Team for being a leader in the community.

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