Four Longhorns named to watch lists

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Four Longhorns have been named to preseason watch lists heading into the 2012 season.

Sophomore running back Malcolm Brown was named to the Maxwell Award watch list, which is given annually to the country's most outstanding football player.

Last season, as a true freshman, Brown appeared in 10 games, starting seven. He ran for five touchdowns on a team high 742 yards in 172 carries. 

Texas has had four different Maxwell Award winners wtih Colt McCoy, Vince Young, Ricky Williams, and Tommy Nobis all bringing the trophy home.

On the defensive side of the ball, Texas lands three on the Bednarik Award preseason watch list. Defensive ends Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat join Kenny Vaccaro for the award given to the nation's top defensive player.

In his junior season, Okafor, a Pflugerville native, started all 13 games, putting up 58 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three pass breakups, 17 pressures, two caused fumbles and one fumble recovery.

In Jeffcoats' first two seasons as a Longhorn, he's recorded 86 tackles, 71 of which came in 2011, 27 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks.

Vaccaro is Texas' only defensive back to be named to the Bednarik watch list. Lason season, the senior safety had 82 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and eight pass breakups.

No Longhorn has ever won the Bednarik Award, but both Sam Acho and Derrick Johnson were semifinalists for the award in 2010 and 2004, respectively.

Texas A&M landed two on the Maxwell award watch list in running back Christine Michael and linebacker Sean Porter.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma placed five players on both the Maxwell and Bednarik watchlists. Landry Jones, Kenny Stills and Dominique Whaley were named to the Maxwell Award watch list, and Demontre Hurst and Tony Jefferson named to the Bednarik Award watch list.