Watch List Season Begins With Pierson-El on the Paul Hornung List

July means a lot of things.  It's a time for vacations and taking it easy, for the most part. We're still two months away from the college football season. College baseball is over, as are the Stanley Cup and NBA playoffs.  Other than baseball, it's a really quiet time.  So quiet that Jon is reduced to talking soccer.

So in the "dog days of summer," any news about football becomes big news, and that means that for the next couple of weeks, the various award committees will start rolling out their "watch lists" for players that might have any sort of shot at winning an award.  For Nebraska fans, look for Maliek Collins to get a mention on Friday for the Outland award, and then be joined by Alex Lewis to get a mention for the Lombardi Award.  Jordan Westerkamp might get a mention for the Biletnikoff Award next week, while Tommy Armstrong will almost certainly get named to the Davey O'Brien watch list. (Any returning starter usually gets a mention.)

First up is the Paul Hornung Award watch list, which lists sophomore De'Mornay Pierson-El.  Why Pierson-El?  Just read the definition of the Paul Hornung Award:

The Paul Hornung Award, now in its sixth season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.

Last year, Pierson-El wowed fans with his knack for not only returning kicks, but also running reverses, catching passes and even throwing touchdown passes. So it's not a surprise he ends up on this list.  Whether he wins it depends on whether any opponent is dumb enough to kick the ball to Pierson-El.

Who else is nominated?

Ishmael Adams, UCLA

Budda Baker, Washington

V'Angelo Bentley, Illinois

Rashon Ceaser, Louisiana Monroe

Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina

Trevor Davis, California

Matt Dayes, N.C. State

Cameron Echols-Luper, TCU

DeVon Edwards, Duke

Tyler Ervin, San Jose State

Leonard Fournette, LSU

Autrey Golden, UTEP

Jamal Golden, Georgia Tech

Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech

Janarion Grant, Rutgers

Carlos Harris, North Texas

Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech

Myles Jack, UCLA

Adoree' Jackson, USC

Corey Jones, Toledo

Isaiah Jones, East Carolina

William Likely, Maryland

T.J. Logan, North Carolina

Byron Marshall, Oregon

Jalin Marshall, Ohio State

Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

Elijah McGuire, Louisiana Lafayette

Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia

Ronnie Moore, Bowling Green

Teldrick Morgan, New Mexico State

Charles Nelson, Oregon

Speedy Noil, Texas A&M

Daz'Mond Patterson, Ohio

De'Mornay Pierson-El, Nebraska

James Quick, Louisville

Alex Ross, Oklahoma

R.J. Shelton, Michigan State

Ryan Switzer, North Carolina

Jahad Thomas, Temple

Jaylen Walton, Ole Miss

Shane Williams- Rhodes, Boise State

Stanley Williams, Kentucky

Myles Willis, Boston College

Dontre Wilson, Ohio State