MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State seniors Dante Barnett, Danzel McDaniel and Cody Whitehair were named to watch lists for awards announced by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) on Friday. Barnett and McDaniel are on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy – presented to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player – while Whitehair is on the watch list for the Outland Trophy as nation’s most outstanding interior lineman.

The inclusion of Barnett and McDaniel on the Nagurski Trophy watch list marks eight Wildcat candidates in the last five years to be up for the award. Both Barnett, who was named a candidate for the Bednarik Award on Tuesday, and McDaniel are first-time candidates.

Whitehair is a two-time candidate for the Outland Trophy as he was named to the preseason watch list in 2014, while the Wildcats have had candidates for the award five times in the last three seasons.

A product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Barnett is one of 88 players on the 2015 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list after a season in which he recorded 77 tackles, four tackles for loss, three interceptions and 11 total passes defended. He earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches in addition to picking up all-conference accolades from ESPN and Phil Steele.

McDaniel was a community-college transfer prior to the 2014 season and did not disappoint in his first season as he totaled 59 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack and four passes defended. He came away with an interception-return touchdown in K-State’s win at No. 11 Oklahoma, while his lone sack of the year came at Iowa State on the Cyclones’ final drive to help preserve a four-point victory. For his efforts, he earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches.

Whitehair, a native of Abilene, Kansas, was one of 82 players on the 2015 Outland Trophy watch list. He has started 38 of his 39 career games, including all 13 games at left tackle in 2014 as he picked up All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches, Associated Press and Phil Steele.

Five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and six or seven semifinalists for the Outland Trophy will be announced on November 19, while three finalists for the Outland Trophy will be chosen five days later. The winner of each award will be announced on ESPN as part of The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 10.

K-State opens its 120th season of football on Saturday, September 5, as the Wildcats hosts South Dakota at 6:10 p.m.

— KSU Sports Information —