Paul Hornung Preseason Watch List Released

The 2013 Paul Hornung Preseason watch list, featuring 44 candidates, was released on Friday.The award is given out, annually, to college football's most versatile player.

The list incudes Odell Beckham, Jr., of the LSU Tigers. The junior from New Orleans caught 43 passes, for 713 yards, and two touchdowns in 2012, while also returning 35 punts, for 320 yards, and two scores, along with five kick-off returns for 79 yards.

Other SEC players to make the list include Trey Burton (Florida), Bruce Ellington of (South Carolina), Christion Jones (Alabama), Malcom Mitchell (Gerogia), Marcus Murphy (Missouri), Loucheiz Purifoy (Florida), and last year's Heisman Trohphy winner, Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M).

Besides Beckham, the only other player from a Louisiana school to make the Paul Hornung watch list is Louisiana Tech's D.J. Banks, who accumulated 1,598 all-purpose yards a season ago, including 434 receiving yards, 1,044 kick-off return yards, and 120 punt return yards.

On Sun Belt Conference player made the list, in WKU's running back Antonio Andrews, who rushed for 1,784 and 11 touchdowns last year, while also receiving for 432 yards, and bringing back 234 punt return yards, and 767 kick retun yards.

Last year's winner of the Paul Hornung Award was Tavon Austin, who was selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, by the St. Louis Rams.