South Dakota State linebacker Adam Bock was one of 30 players named Wednesday to the official watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.
A senior linebacker from Solon, Iowa, Bock was a finalist for the award in 2021 and has been included on the preseason watch list each of the past two seasons. He enters his final collegiate season with 344 career tackles, highlighted by a team-best 125 tackles in 2021. He missed time because of injury in both 2022 and 2023, but came back to rank third on the squad with 65 tackles in 10 games last season, including a game-high 11 stops in the national championship game as the Jackrabbits claimed their second consecutive national title with a 23-3 victory over Montana.
The 2024 season marks the 30th anniversary of the Buck Buchanan Award, which will be presented by Stats Perform Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas. The watch list will be updated periodically during the season, with voting conducted by a national media panel at the conclusion of the regular season.
Following is full listing of the 2024 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List:
Defensive Linemen
- Finn Claypool, Drake, R-Jr., 6-1, 232 (Pioneer Football League) – 2023 Finalist
- Ckelby Givens, Southern, Jr., 6-2, 230 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
- Brody Grebe, Montana State, Sr., 6-2, 248 (Big Sky Conference) – 2023 Finalist
- Eli Mostaert, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-3, 287 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
- Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly, R-Sr., 6-3, 245 (Big Sky Conference)
- Josiah Silver, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-2, 243 (CAA Football)
- David Walker, Central Arkansas, Sr., 6-3, 260 (United Athletic Conference) – 2022 and 2023 Finalist
Linebackers
- Amir Abdullah, Illinois State, Sr., 6-3, 215 (Missouri Valley Football Conference) – 2023 Finalist
- Adam Bock, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-1, 225 (Missouri Valley Football Conference) – 2021 Finalist
- James Conway, Fordham, Sr., 6-2, 225 (Patriot League)
- Micah Davey, McNeese, R-Jr., 6-2, 239(Southland Conference) – 2023 Finalist
- Erick Hunter, Morgan State, Sr., 6-4, 210 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) – 2023 Finalist
- Logan Kopp, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-1, 217 (Missouri Valley Football Conference) – 2023 Finalist
- Noah Martin, Samford, Sr., 6-1, 232 (Southern Conference)
- Bryce Norman, Southeast Missouri, Sr., 6-0, 220 (Big South-OVC Football Association) – 2022 Finalist
- Ken Standley, Mercer, Sr., 5-11, 225 (Southern Conference)
- Elijawah Tolbert, Eastern Illinois, Sr., 6-1, 240 (Big South-OVC Football Association)
- Riley Wilson, Montana, Jr., 6-2, 224 (Big Sky Conference)
Defensive Backs
- Oshae Baker, UT Martin, Sr., 5-10, 200 (Big South-OVC Football Association)
- Kendall Bohler, Florida A&M, Sr., 6-0, 193 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
- Kimal Clark, Central Connecticut State, Jr., 5-10, 200 (Northeast Conference)
- Rex Connors, UC Davis, Jr., 6-1, 203 (Big Sky Conference)
- Caleb Curtain, Elon, R-Jr., 6-1, 191 (CAA Football)
- Kenny Gallop Jr., Howard, Grad, 6-0, 214(Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) – 2023 Finalist
- Tyler Morton, Nicholls, Sr., 5-10, 165 (Southland Conference)
- Isaiah Reed, Brown, Sr., 6-0, 180 (Ivy League)
- Isas Waxter, Villanova, Sr., 6-2, 215 (CAA Football)
- Saiku White, Lafayette, Sr., 6-0, 201 (Patriot League)
- TaMuarion Wilson, Central Arkansas, Sr., 6-2, 205 (United Athletic Conference)
- Cole Wisniewski, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-4, 217 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
