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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Southern’s Jordan Lewis and Florida A&M’s Markquese Bell have been named to the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List.

In the history of the award there has been only one multiple-time winner but Southern’s Lewis will have a chance to complete that feat this fall.

Lewis, who after the spring season was named the national defensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision, headlined a preseason watch list of 35 players that Stats Perform announced for the 2021 season on Thursday.

Lewis ranked No. 1 in the FCS in sacks and tackles for loss as well as lost yardage in both statistics.

Florida A&M’s Bell was recently named to Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team and is coming off of 2019 season where he received Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) First Team accolades.

Bell finished the campaign co-leading the conference with five interceptions while adding a team-high nine pass breakups with 61 tackles (38 solo). 

He recorded 10 or more tackles in two games that season, highlighted by a 12-stop performance versus Bethune-Cookman. 

A complete listing of the watch list is listed below.

Defensive Linemen
Jordan Lewis, Southern (2020-21 recipient)
Jared Brinkman, Northern Iowa (2020-21 finalist)
Isaiah Chambers, McNeese (2020-21 finalist)
DJ Coleman, Jacksonville State
Mike Greene, James Madison (2020-21 finalist)
Malik Hamm, Lafayette
Jahari Kay, Sam Houston (2020-21 finalist)
Shaundre Mims, Charleston Southern
Kobie Turner, Richmond

Linebackers
Troy Andersen, Montana State
Logan Backhaus, South Dakota State
Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham (2020-21 finalist)
Willie Eubanks III, The Citadel (2019 finalist)
Tre Jones, Central Connecticut State
James Kaczor, North Dakota State
La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis, Southern Utah (2020-21 finalist)
Titus Leo, Wagner (2020-21 finalist)
Jace Lewis, Montana
Forrest Rhyne, Villanova
Stone Snyder, VMI (2020-21 finalist)
Jeremiah Tyler, Princeton
Tre Walker, Idaho (2020-21 finalist)
Tristan Wheeler, Richmond (2020-21 finalist)

Defensive Backs
Markquese Bell, Florida A&M
Anthony Adams, Portland State (2019 finalist)
Qua Brown, Southern Illinois
Anthony Budd, Monmouth
Decobie Durant, South Carolina State
Brandon Easterling, Dayton (2019 finalist)
Chris Edmonds, Samford (2020-21 finalist)
Marcis Floyd, Murray State
Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State (2020-21 finalist)
Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Ferlando Jordan, Southeastern Louisiana
Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston

More players can join the watch list during the regular season, and a national media panel will select the winner following it. Dexter Coakley won the inaugural Buchanan in 1995 and repeated a year later, but there hasn’t been a two-time recipient since, although other past winners such as Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen and Arthur Moats joined Coakley with excellent NFL careers.

Also this season, Stats Perform will present the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams. 
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis. 
 
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball. 
 
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