RENO, Nev. – Nevada junior defensive end Dom Peterson has been selected to preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Outland Trophy, the Football Writers Association of America announced today. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented annually to the nation's top defensive player, while the Outland Trophy goes to the nation's top lineman, either offensive or defensive.
 
He is one of 98 defensive standouts to be selected to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list from 66 schools and is one of four to make the list from the Mountain West. For the Outland Trophy, he is one of 85 to earn the honor nationally and one of seven from the conference. Peterson is now on three preseason watch lists for 2020 as he was placed on the Bednarik Award watch list last week.
 
Peterson was named first team All-MW for the first time in his career after proving to be the Wolf Pack's most dominant defensive lineman last season. The then-sophomore ranked second in the conference and led Nevada with 15.0 tackles for loss, 14 of them being solo. Peterson also led the team and ranked second in the MW with nine sacks. He recorded at least one tackle for loss in all but one game in 2019 and had his best performance of the year in a 21-10 win over New Mexico, where he recorded four solo tackles, three for loss and two sacks. He was also named to the preseason All-MW first team by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine last month.
 
The winner of the 2020 Bronko Nagurski Trophy presented by LendingTree as the National Defensive Player of the Year will be chosen from those five finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
 
The recipient of the 75th Outland Trophy will be announced in early December. The official presentation to the winner will be made in Omaha, Neb., at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, scheduled for Jan. 13, 2021.