Twice is Bryce: Virginia’s Hall, Perkins named to preseason watch lists

The Sports Doldrums are officially upon us.

Wimbledon is over. The NBA Finals are basically a distant memory, and free agency has calmed down. The U.S. Women’s National Team has (mostly) sobered up from a well-deserved, booze-fueled victory tour after the World Cup. The MLB trade deadline is starting to peek its head over the horizon, but baseball has otherwise entered its long, slow, post-All-Star-Game slog to October.

Which means only one thing: COLLEGE FOOTBALL PRESEASON WATCH LIST SEASON, BABAAAY!!

The Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell Award—given to the “College Player of the Year”—and the Chuck Bednarik Award for the defensive player of the year.

Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins was named to the Maxwell list, while defensive back Bryce Hall made the Bednarik list.

Perkins was honorable mention All-ACC in 2018 after leading UVA to an 8-5 season capped by a 28-0 victory over South Carolina in the Belk Bowl. With 2,213 yards passing and 730 yards rushing, Perkins joined only Heisman winner Kyler Murray as FBS players with 2,200+ yards passing and 700+ yards rushing.

Virginia has had one previous Maxwell Award winner: all-everything standout Bill Dudley in 1941.

Hall stunned NFL Draft experts by returning to UVA for his senior season instead of going pro. A first-team All-ACC selection and second-team All-American, Hall was expected to be a first round pick. He anchors a defensive backfield that should be one of the highlights of the 2019 Virginia squad.

The Chuck Bednarik Award was first handed out in 1995 to Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald. There have been two previous winners in the ACC: North Carolina’s Julius Peppers in 2001, and Pitt’s Aaron Donald in 2013.