Maryland linebacker Daniel Wingate is on the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, giving the Terps a defensive centerpiece on an early list of 68 national contenders for the award that goes to college football’s top defensive player.
The Football Writers Association of America announced the watch list today, and Wingate is part of a group that includes three returning FWAA All-Americans. The 68 players come from 47 schools across all 10 FBS conferences and the Independents.
The Southeastern Conference leads the way with 17 selections, followed by the Big Ten with 13. The Atlantic Coast and Big 12 Conferences each have 10.
The field will be trimmed when the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club announce the finalists on November 19. The winner will be honored at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina, on December 7.
The award itself dates to 1993, when the FWAA first began recognizing the nation’s top defensive player each season. In 1995, it was named for Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski, the University of Minnesota standout who became a force for the Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Nagurski’s resume helped land him in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wingate earned his spot with a 2025 junior season that put him squarely among the Big Ten’s best. He started all 12 games and picked up Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors after becoming the first Terp since Tre Watson in 2018 to top 100 tackles. Wingate finished with 102 tackles, which ranked sixth in the Big Ten and 35th nationally.
He was just as sharp when the numbers were broken down further. His 62 solo tackles ranked second in the conference and tied for seventh in the nation.
Wingate also added 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception returned for a touchdown, and two quarterback hurries. He had five double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 14 against NIU, and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after piling up 11 tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFLs, and a QB hurry in Maryland’s win at Wisconsin.
His value to Maryland went well beyond the stat line. Teammates voted him the 2025 Team MVP and chose him as one of three season-long captains. He also represented the program at Big Ten Media Days, a clear sign of how central he had become to the Terps’ defense.
Wingate’s climb has been steady over three seasons in College Park. In 35 career games, he has 159 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. After limited action in 2023, when he recorded 11 tackles, he broke through in 2024 with 50 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss before taking another big step in 2025 with his 102-tackle season.
Now he heads into 2026 as Maryland’s defensive anchor and one of the nation’s most respected returning linebackers. The watch list nod gives him an early place in the national conversation, and Maryland will count on him to lead a defense looking to move forward in the Big Ten.
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