MISSOULA — Montana defensive end Zach Wagenmann is one of three Big Sky Conference football players named to the pre-season Buck Buchanan Award watch list.
This will be the 20th year for the award, which honors the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The finalists also include Eastern Washington linebacker Ronnie Hamlin and Southern Utah defensive end James Crowser.
Wagenmann, a senior from Missoula, had 64 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks last season. He has been named a defensive co-captain for the Griz this fall.
A Big Sky Conference player has won the Buchanan Award in six of the last 11 years, including Montana State’s Caleb Schreibeis in 2012 and Brad Daly in 2013. Former Eastern Washington players J.C. Sherritt (2010) and Greg Peach (2008) are past Buchanan Award winners along with Montana’s Kroy Biermann in 2007 and Idaho State’s Jared Allen in 2003.