news_journal
Two defensive standouts from East Texas have earned a spot on the preseason watch list for one of college football's most coveted defensive honors. C.J. Fite, a defensive tackle at Arizona State, and Kip Lewis, a linebacker at Oklahoma, were both recognized by the Football Writers Association of America, which made the announcement from Dallas on Tuesday.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented annually to the top defensive player in the country. Finalists are scheduled to be unveiled on November 19, with the official presentation taking place on December 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Fite, a former standout at Tatum High School, is coming off a productive season for the Sun Devils, recording 29 tackles and a career-high 6.5 tackles for loss. In his sophomore campaign in 2024, he contributed 30 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery, helping Arizona State capture the Big 12 title and secure a berth in the College Football Playoff. His eight tackles for loss or no gain tied for fifth among Big 12 interior linemen, while his 16 defensive stops on running plays ranked ninth among interior players in the conference.
As a freshman in 2023, Fite played the fourth-most snaps among true freshman defenders in the Pac-12 and the most among defensive linemen. He ranked in the top 50 nationally among true freshmen defenders in snaps played, and his 350 snaps were third among true freshmen interior defensive linemen in the FBS. Additionally, his run defense grade of 71.3 from Pro Football Focus was fifth among all FBS freshmen and 13th among all Pac-12 interior defenders.
Key Analysis
Lewis, a two-year starter at linebacker for the Sooners, has amassed 209 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, two interceptions, and five pass breakups across 44 career games. Last season, he led Oklahoma with 76 tackles, adding 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and four pass breakups. Both Fite and Lewis are among the returning members from the 2025 watch list, joined by a host of other notable defenders such as KJ Bolden (Georgia), Drayk Bowen (Notre Dame), Leonard Moore (Notre Dame), Koi Perich (Oregon), Suntarine Perkins (Ole Miss), Colin Simmons (Texas), Dylan Stewart (South Carolina), Jayden Virgin-Morgan (Boise State), and Whit Weeks (LSU). Other prominent names on the list include Texas Tech linebacker Ben Roberts, Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles, Texas Tech defensive tackle A.J. Holmes, Houston cornerback Will James, TCU safety Jamel Johnson, Texas Tech cornerback Brice Pollock, and Texas A&M safety Marcus Ratcliffe.
Originally reported by news_journal.