SB Nation Preseason All-Americans: Michigan State's Johnny Adams Among Top Defensive Backs

Michigan State cornerback Johnny Adams, a fifth-year senior, is on SB Nation's college football preseason All-American team as an honorable mention, the website unveiled Wednesday.

Adams enters his third season as a starter for the Spartans. He is on preseason watch lists for the Bednarik and Thorpe awards (top collegiate defensive player and defensive back) and is listed in several publications' All-American teams. He is also regarded as one of the top NFL draft prospects at his position at the present time.

Adams intercepted three passes as a redshirt junior and as a sophomore, and this spring got some action as a wide receiver. He's not a big corner at 5-11, 177 pounds, but he will be an important part of Michigan State's defense in this his last season in East Lansing.

Adams is one of nine defensive backs on the SB Nation list, four of whom are first-team selections and five who are honorable mentions.

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can learn more about college football around the country over at SB Nation's College Football hub.

SB Nation Preseason All-Americans: Le'Veon Bell Among Top Running Backs

On Monday, SB Nation kicked off its Preseason All-America team for the upcoming NCAA football season. William Gholston of the Michigan St. Spartans highlighted the defensive line, while Taylor Lewan of the Michigan Wolverines found himself as an honorable mention on the offensive line. Both players are on numerous watch lists for the upcoming season, so it was no surprise to see them recognized by SB Nation.

Jason Kirk kept things rolling Tuesday with the running backs and linebackers for the mythical All-Star team. No players from either school make the final roster, but Le'Veon Bell out of Michigan State was named an honorable mention for the running back position. Bell was beaten to the roster by Montee Ball of Wisconsin and Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina.

Bell has been named to a couple watch lists recently. Most notably, he was named one of the candidates for the Doak Walker Award, which is given annually to the nation's top running back. Michigan's Fitzgerald Toussaint was also named to that watch list. On top of that, Bell was named to the Maxwell Award watch list.

For more on the Michigan State Spartans and Michigan Wolverines, head over to their respective SB Nation blogs at The Only Colors and Maize N Brew. More news and analysis from around the world of College Football can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Football Hub.

SB Nation Preseason All-Americans: Taylor Lewan, William Gholston Among Linemen Chosen

The Michigan Wolverines and Michigan St. Spartans have both seen their football teams receive a lot of attention recently. As the 2012 college football season approaches, more and more players have been added to various watch lists around the Internet, with plenty of expectations for plenty of players, mostly on the defensive side of the ball.

Well, SB Nation is getting in on the fray with their Preseason All-America Team. On Monday, Jason Kirk revealed the first part of their team with a look at the offensive and defensive lines - the cornerstone of any football team. If you've got holes on either, you're going to get your quarterback hurt or your defense exposed.

Michigan State highlights the list with William Gholston making it as a defensive end. Gholston has already been named to several award watch lists, including the Lombardi watch list, Butkus watch list and the Walter Camp watch list.

The Wolverines didn't have anybody make the team, but they did have an honorable mention on the offensive side of the ball. Taylor Lewan is named as an honorable mention. Lewan is also on the Lombardi watch list, and also is on the watch list for the Outland Trophy.

For more on the Michigan Wolverines, check out Maize n Brew. For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can learn more about college football around the country over at SB Nation's College Football hub.

College Football Awards 2012: Michigan, Michigan State And Western Michigan Each With Walter Camp Candidates

On Friday, the Walter Camp Foundation announced the "50 players to watch" as potential winners of the 2012 version of the Player of the Year award, the fourth oldest individual award in college football.

Among those names are products from Michigan, including Wolverines senior quarterback Denard Robinson, Michigan State defensive end William Gholston and Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder.

In November, the list of 50 will be cut down to 10 semifinalists prior to the winner of the award being announced Thursday, Dec. 6 on ESPN.

Stanford quarterback and first-overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, Andrew Luck, won the award in 2011.

For more on the Michigan Wolverines, check out Maize n Brew. For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can learn more about college football around the country over at SB Nation's College Football hub. You can also watch SB Nation's YouTube channel:

College Football Awards 2012: Michigan, Michigan State Each With Doak Walker Candidates

Michigan's Fitzgerald Toussaint and Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell are each preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation's top running back.

Toussaint, a junior, had 1,041 yards and nine touchdowns on 187 carries last season. He was one of only five running backs to average more than 100 yards in Big Ten play and put up some of his biggest performances against conference foes. He had 192 yards and a touchdown against Illinois, 138 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska and 120 yards on 20 carries against Ohio State.

Bell, also a junior, finished last season with 948 yards and 13 touchdowns on 142 carries. He had 112 yards and 20 touchdowns against Iowa and 106 yards and a touchdowns in the season finale against Wisconsin.

Trent Richardson of Alabama won the award last season.

For more on the Michigan Wolverines, check out Maize n Brew. For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can learn more about college football around the country over at SB Nation's College Football hub. You can also watch SB Nation's YouTube channel:

College Football Awards 2012: Michigan's Denard Robinson Named To O'Brien Watch List

The 34-man Davey O'Brien Award's preseason watch list was released on Wednesday, and Michigan senior quarterback Denard Robinson was, as expected, once again among the names listed.

The six-foot Robinson, already added to the Maxwell watch list earlier in the month, is one of seven Michigan players who have been lauded with preseason accolades. One of five Big Ten passers on the list, the dual threat is already in the top 10 of Michigan's record books for completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns as a passer, and in yards, touchdowns and 100-yard games as a runner.

Broken down to 16 semifinalists on October 22, a cut which Robinson made just last year, the O'Brien will be doled out on December 6 at the annual College Football Awards Show. Seven of last year's 16 semifinalists are still in the field, including Southern California's Matt Barkley, Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Arkansas' Tyler Wilson.

For more Michigan players tabbed for preseason awards, stay with this StoryStream. For more on the Wolverines, head over to Maize n Brew, and for more college football coverage check out SB Nation's NCAA football hub.

College Football Awards 2012: Michigan's Roy Roundtree On Biletnikoff Watch List

Michigan wideout Roy Roundtree is on the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top receiver.

The watch list, released here by BiletnikoffAward.com, includes a few other Big Ten players: Jared Abbrederis of Wisconsin, Keenan Davis of Iowa and Corey Brown of Ohio State.

As a junior last season, Roundtree had 19 catches for 355 yards and two touchdowns. His production took a hit with Michigan offensive makeover: He had 72 catches, 935 yards and seven TDs in Rich Rodriguez's spread offense in 2010.

Players not currently on the list can be added throughout the season based on performance. Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon won the award each of the past two seasons.

For more on the Michigan Wolverines, check out Maize n Brew. You can learn more about college football around the country over at SB Nation's College Football hub, or watch SB Nation's YouTube channel:

College Football Awards 2012: Five Spartans, Two Wolverines Added To Lombardi Watch List

The Michigan State Spartans have many players on the the watch lists for many awards heading into the 2012 season. Mostly, they've got players on watch lists for defensive awards, with guys like Johnny Adams and Max Bullough getting an awful lot of attention. We just wrote about Bullough and Denicos Allen being added to the watch list for the coveted Butkus Award, and now there's a similar one with even more players added: the Lombardi Award.

Allen and Bullough are both on the watch list, according to the Detroit News, as are three other players in William Gholston, Marcus Rush and Chris McDonald. Gholston and Rush are defensive ends, while McDonald is an offensive guard. On top of that, linebacker Kenny Demens and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan from the Michigan Wolverines were nominated for the award.

The award has been given out since 1970, and is given, as noted, to the top lineman on offense or defense, who shows outstanding performance and ability and also best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi. Nearly 400 people take part in the balloting process for this award, and it is one of the bigger honors in college football.

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. Also head on over to Maize n Brew for the Michigan Wolverines. You can learn more about college football around the country over at SB Nation's College Football hub.

College Football Awards 2012: MSU's Max Bullough, Denicos Allen Added To Butkus Watch List

If the various college football awards watch lists are anything to go by, the Michigan St. Spartans should have a pretty solid team for the 2012 season. If you've followed the full stream, you'd see quite a few players added to various watch lists, and on Monday, we've got a couple more to add.

MSU linebackers Denicos Allen and Max Bullough have been added to the watch list for the Butkus Award. The Butkus Award is one of the top honors in college football, given to the top college linebacker. Players must excel in athletic achievement and also service to the community. There are 51 experts who vote on the awards, including journalists and professional scouts.

In 2011, the award was won by Luke Kuechly of Boston College. Allen and Bullough both found themselves on the watch list for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation's best defensive player, along with MSU teammates DE William Gholston and CB Johnny Adams. Bullough also was added to the Nagurski Award watch list earlier last week.

The 2012 watch list for collegiate players can be found here.

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can learn more about college football around the country over at SB Nation's College Football hub.

College Football Awards 2012: Michigan State's Johnny Adams, Isaiah Lewis Added To Thorpe Watch List

The accolades just keep on rolling in for Michigan State cornerback Johnny Adams, as the senior defensive back was named to his third watch list of the week, joining teammate Isaiah Lewis on the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List released on Friday.

On Monday the 5-foot-11 Adams was rightfully named to the watch list for the Bednarik Award, college football's version of defensive player of the year, and less than 24 hours later was tabbed as a preseason contender for the Nagurski Trophy, given to the nation's most outstanding defensive player. Viewed as a likely first or second round NFL draft pick by scouts right now, it's clear that everyone in America believes that the lockdown corner could be in store for a monster senior campaign.

A junior safety who started to flourish at the back end of Mark Dantonio's defense towards the end of last season, Lewis became the ninth different MSU player named to a watch list during the week. Excluding Adams, the third-year Indiana native is just one of just three Big Ten defensive backs on the Thorpe Award's preliminary list, offering further proof of how good Michigan State's secondary might just be this season.

For more preseason awards for local players, stay right here with this StoryStream. For more on the Spartans, head to The Only Colors. And for more college football coverage, make sure to visit SB Nation's NCAA football hub.

College Football Awards 2012: Handful Of Michigan & Michigan State Players Named To Nagurski, Outland Watch Lists

The 2012 watch lists for both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Outland Trophy were each released on Thursday, and a number of Michigan State and Michigan players were named to both lists.

For the Nagurski, which is awarded to the best defensive player in the country, as many as four local representatives helped make up the group of names. Known for their stout defense over the last few years under head coach Mark Dantonio, the Spartans feature three players on the list: linebacker Max Bullough, defensive end William Gholston and cornerback Johnny Adams. Michigan's do-it-all safety and former walk-on Jordan Kovacs was also named to the list.

Given to the top lineman in college football, the Outland Trophy has traditionally been won by either a defensive or offensive tackle in recent years. As such, Michigan's mammoth left tackle Taylor Lewan was predictably included on the watch list as he prepares to follow the footsteps of former Wolverine great Jake Long. Guard Chris McDonald from the Spartans also rounded out the list, but he faces stiff odds considering that a guard hasn't taken home the award since 1997.

For more coverage of preseason awards and accolades, stay with this StoryStream. For more on the Wolverines, be sure to head over to Maize n Brew, and for more on the Spartans make sure to visit The Only Colors. And for full college football coverage, go ahead and check out SB Nation's NCAA football hub.

College Football Awards 2012: Watch Lists Littered With Michigan State, Michigan Names

College Football's award watch lists for 2012 are getting released, and there are a handful of Michigan and Michigan State players in the mix.