UTEP’s Amaewhule & Knight named to Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Updated: Aug 1, 2023 / 08:17 PM MDT
EL PASO, Texas – UTEP’s Praise Amaewhule and Tyrice Knight were recognized to the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List as announced by the Football Writers Association of America on Tuesday.
Knight is coming off a 95-tackle season, while he’s amassed 197 over the last two years. The redshirt senior was named second team All-CUSA after recording 6.5 TFL, a sack, INT, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble return for a TD. He has started in 31 games at the linebacker position over the last three seasons.
UTEP’s Praise Amaewhule and Tyrice Knight are on the preseason Bronko Nagurski Award watch list, given each year to the best defensive player in college football.
— Colin Deaver (@ColinDeaverTV) August 1, 2023
Knight ranked tied 10th in CUSA in total tackles and ranked tied seventh in tackles per game (7.9) in 2022. He tallied a season-high 14 tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss at UNM. Knight scored his first career touchdown as he recovered a fumble and took it 13 yards to paydirt, while tallying five tackles, a sack and TFL in a win at Charlotte (UTEP’s first ever win in the Eastern Time Zone). Knight registered seven stops in UTEP’s upset win over Boise State on national television.
The Lakeland, Fla., product opened the season with 11 tackles and 2.0 TFL’s against North Texas, while he added an interception in a win over rival NM State. He posted 12 stops at Rice on national television. Knight recorded 10 more versus Middle Tennessee.
Amaewhule, an All-CUSA second-team performer last season, enters the 2023 season ranking second on UTEP’s all-time sack’s list with 17.5. The redshirt senior needs 3.0 sacks to break the all-time mark at UTEP. Amaewhule led the defense with eight quarterback hurries, while forcing a fumble, and recovering a fumble. He has started in 41 career games.
Amaewhule started all 12 games in 2022. The Katy, Texas, product tallied a season-high seven tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack against Middle Tennessee, while also getting a sack at Rice on national television. He was credited with six tackles and a TFL in a win over rival NM State. Amaewhule posted a season-best three QB hurries in an upset win over Boise State on national TV.
The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the five finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Fourteen UTEP student-athletes were also named All-Conference USA by the College Football Network on Tuesday.
WR Tyrin Smith, OT Steven Hubbard, C Andrew Meyer, OG Elijah Klein, DE Praise Amaewhule, DT Keenan Stewart and LB Tyrice Knight were named first team. Making the second team were RB Deion Hankins, OG Justin Mayers and transfer CB AJ Odums. OT Zuri Henry, CB Ilijah Johnson, and PR Marcus Bellon were named third team, while Bellon at the WR position and S Kobe Hylton earned honorable-mention recognition.