With preseason camps in full swing, college football's annual awards for the top players and coaches in the sport have restarted the deluge of preseason watch lists.

Inside ND Sports will track all the Notre Dame mentions in our annual Watch List Watch. Let's get to watchin'.

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The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame recognized 85 players on its preseason watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. Notre Dame graduate senior linebacker Marist Liufau was one of the 85 on the list, which was released Thursday, Aug. 17.

Liufau, who played the most snaps for Notre Dame's defense last season, recorded 51 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery in 13 games. Liufau was also named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award.

Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley was named the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year in 2015. The award was first celebrated in 2014.

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Notre Dame junior offensive tackle Joe Alt found himself on a preseason watch list for a third time ahead of the 2023 season. On Tuesday, Aug. 15, the Lombardi Award included Alt as one of 80 players on its watch list.

The Lombardi Award has changed over the years, but it currently recognizes the best college football player at the following positions: offensive lineman, defensive lineman or linebacker.

Five Notre Dame players have won the Lombardi Award since its inception in 1970: defensive tackle Walt Patulski (1971), defensive end Ross Browner (1977), defensive tackle Chris Zorich (1990), offensive tackle Aaron Taylor (1993) and linebacker Manti Te'o (2012).

Alt, an All-American last season, was also named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year and Outland Trophy.

Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison landed on a third preseason watch list ahead of the 2023 season.

On Monday, Aug. 14, Morrison was named as one of 85 players on the preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which selects the most outstanding defensive player in college football.

Morrison started nine games and played in all 13 as a freshman last season. He totaled six interceptions, four pass breakups and 33 tackles.

Only one Notre Dame player has won the Bednarik Award since its inception in 1995: linebacker Manti Te'o in 2012.

Morrison was previously named to the Jim Thorpe Award and Bronco Nagurski Trophy watch lists.

Half of Notre Dame's captains for the 2023 season were included on the preseason watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year. Joe Alt and graduate senior quarterback Sam Hartman were among the 45 players listed as potential candidates as college football's top player.

Notre Dame was one of nine schools to have multiple players on the watch list, which was released Friday, Aug. 11.

Following the 2022 season, Alt received All-America honors on the first or second teams from 12 different outlets. Hartman transferred to Notre Dame from Wake Forest after setting the career touchdown passes record in the ACC with 110.

Four Notre Dame players have won the Walter Camp Award since it began in 1967: tight end Ken MacAfee (1977), wide receiver Tim Brown (1987), wide receiver Raghib "Rocket" Ismail (1990), and linebacker Manti Te'o (2012).

Hartman was previously named to the 2023 preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award and Maxwell Award. Alt was also named to the watch list for the Outland Trophy.

A six-interception season rightly earned Benjamin Morrison some praise following his freshman season.

The love for Morrison heading into his sophomore season continued Thursday, Aug. 10, when the Jim Thorpe Award included Morrison on its preseason watch list of 35 defensive backs.

The award, which has recognized the top defensive back in college football since 1986, has never been won by a Notre Dame player.

Morrison was previously named to the Bronco Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list for the top defensive player in the country.

The Butkus Award named 51 linebackers to its preseason watch list Thursday, Aug. 10, in a nod to the jersey number linebacker Dick Butkus wore for the Chicago Bears in the NFL.

Two of the selections came from Notre Dame’s roster: graduate seniors JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau. Bertrand led the Irish in tackles each of the past two seasons with 82 coming last season. Liufau tallied 51 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery in 2022.

Three Notre Dame linebackers have won the Butkus Award for college football’s top linebacker since its inception in 1985: Manti Te’o (2012), Jaylon Smith (2015) and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (2020).

Notre Dame junior running back Audric Estimé was one of 75 players named to the Doak Walker Award watch list on Wednesday, Aug. 9.

Since 1990, the award has been presented to the nation's top running back. A Notre Dame player has yet to win the award. Estimé was Notre Dame's leading rusher in 2022, with 920 yards and 11 TDs with a 5.9 yards-per-carry average.

Sam Hartman was one of 20 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award last season while at Wake Forest. So it came as no surprise Tuesday, Aug. 8, when Hartman was included on the preseason watch list for the award alongside 34 others.

Hartman earned semifinalist honors last year while throwing for 3,701 yards and 38 touchdowns with 12 interceptions and a 63.1 completion percentage (270-of-428). He was also a semifinalist in 2021.

Notre Dame will play against three Davey O'Brien Award watch list members in 2023: Duke’s Riley Leonard, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and USC’s Caleb Williams, last year's winner.

A Notre Dame quarterback has never won the Davey O'Brien Award since it started honoring quarterbacks in 1981.

Hartman was previously named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list last month.

One year ago, Zeke Correll was snubbed on the Rimington Trophy preseason watch list by his own Notre Dame teammate, Jarrett Patterson, even though Patterson wasn't planning to play center for the Irish in 2023.

With Patterson off to the NFL after playing left guard for the Irish last season, the Rimington Trophy rightfully has its eyes on Correll as Notre Dame's center. Correll, a graduate senior with 21 career starts on the Irish offensive line, was named Friday, Aug. 4, to the Rimington Trophy's preseason watch list for college football's top center alongside 39 others.

The 6-foot-3, 306-pound Correll started all 13 games for the Irish at center last season is expected to do again this year.

No Notre Dame center has won the Rimington Trophy since it was first awarded in 2000. Michigan's Olusegun Oluwatimi won the award last year.

Notre Dame senior wide receiver/return man Chris Tyree was one of 53 players named on Thursday, Aug. 3, to the Paul Hornung Award watch list.

Since 2010, the award has been given annually to a player who exemplifies versatility in the college game at the highest level. It's named after former Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung.

An Irish player has yet to take home the award.

Tyree has been a longtime mainstay in the Irish backfield as a running back and on special teams as a kickoff returner. The 5-10, 192-pounder switched to wide receiver this spring and is a projected starter at his new position. He's also being considered for kickoff return and punt return duties.

JD Bertrand on Thursday, Aug. 3, was named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list.

Since 2005, the Wuerffel Trophy has been awarded annually to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.

Notre Dame's line winner was linebacker Drue Tranquill, in 2018. Former Irish offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons, who finished his career at Florida State, was the 2022 winner.

Notre Dame kicker Spencer Shrader, a grad transfer from South Florida, was one of 30 players named Wednesday, Aug. 2, to the Groza Award watch list.

Since 1992, the Groza Award has recognized college football's top kicker. Notre Dame has yet to have one of its kickers take home that award.

Shrader connected on nine of his 13 field goal attempts at USF last season, made all 37 PAT attempts and kicked off 63 times with 50 of those ending up as touchbacks. His career long field goal of 52 yards came during the 2021 season.

Shrader made his Notre Dame Stadium debut in 2020, kicking off once in a 52-0 Irish romp over the visiting Bulls.

Junior offensive tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher were named Tuesday, Aug. 1, to the Outland Trophy watch list. Since 1946, the award has recognized the nation's top college interior lineman on offense or defense.

Notre Dame's George Connor won the first award in 1946, with Bill Fischer following two years later. Ross Browner in 1976 was Notre Dame's most recent winner.

Alt and Fisher are the only O-line teammate to make this year's list. Left tackle Alt was a 2022 All-American and Pro Football Focus' top-rated tackle in the nation. Right tackle Fisher is a former Rivals five-star prospect.

JD Bertrand and Benjamin Morrison were named Tuesday, Aug. 1, to the 94-man Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list. The Irish were one of 14 teams to place two players on the list.

Linebacker Manti Te'o in 2012 is Notre Dame's only former winner of the award since 1993 given to the nation's top defensive player.

Bertrand has been Notre Dame's leading tackler each of the past two seasons, with 82 in 2022 to go along with 8.5 tackles for loss. Morrison garnered Freshman All-America honors in 2022 after finishing tied for third nationally in interceptions, with six, and amassing 33 tackles and four pass break-ups.

Sam Hartman has been named to the extremely inclusive Maxwell Award watch list, consisting of 86 players. The list was released on Monday, July 31.

The award is given annually to the nation's most outstanding college football player, regardless of position.

Seven former Irish players have won the award since its inception in 1937, most recently linebacker Manti Te'o in 2012. Others were Brady Quinn (2006), Ross Browner (1977), Jim Lynch (1966), Johnny Lattner (1952-53) and Leon Hart (1949). Lattner and former Florida QB Tim Tebow are the only repeat winners.

Hartman, a Wake Forest transfer and sixth-year grad student, enters the 2023 season as the active FBS leader in career passing yards (12,967) and TD passes (110). He is set to make his Notre Dame debut Aug. 26 in Dublin, Ireland, against Navy.

Sixth-year special teams stalwart Michael Vinson on Monday was named Monday, July 31, to the 25-man watch list for the 2023 Patrick Mannelly Award, which recognizes that nation's top long snapper.

The 6-2, 242-pound former walk-on from Winnetka, Ill., has been Notre Dame's primary long snapper since 2020. He was a semifinalist for the Mannelly Award last season and a first-team selection on the American Football Coaches Association All-America team.

The award is in its fifth year of existence. Former Notre Dame long snapper John Shannon was the inaugural winner in 2019.

Following a 9-4 record in his debut season as a head coach, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman found himself on a preseason watch list of 21 FBS coaches for the 2023 edition of The Dodd Trophy.

The annual coach of the year award "celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity — the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy."

Freeman was joined on the list by four opposing coaches on the 2023 schedule: NC State's Dave Doeren, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Clemson's Dabo Swinney and Wake Forest's Dave Clawson.

Brian Kelly became the first Notre Dame coach to win the Dodd Trophy in 2018. The Dodd Trophy has been awarded every year since 1976.

Sophomore cornerback Jaden Mickey was nominated by Notre Dame for the 2023 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team. Mickey was one of 73 FBS players highlighted by the AFCA for impacting their communities.

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