The season hasn’t even started but the accolades for Gophers football are coming in consistently this summer. Throughout the past few months Gophers from all three phases of the game have been named to a number of college football award watch lists.

After a season with 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns, wide receiver Tyler Johnson received the most attention this offseason. The Minneapolis native was also named to the Bilentikoff Watch List for the country’s best wide receiver as well as being named the preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele Publications.

The honors began when Johnson received fourth-team recognition on the Athlon Preseason All-America Team and when Johnson was named one of only 12 receivers named to the Maxwell Award Watch List for America’s College Player of the Year.

Johnson wasn’t alone on the Phil Steele Publications Big Ten teams. Johnson was joined by offensive teammates Rashod Bateman (second-team) plus Mohamed Ibrahim and Daniel Faalele (third-team). Defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. joined Johnson on the first-team with defensive mates Carter Coughlin on the second-team and Thomas Barber on the fourth-team.

Special teamers Demetrius Douglas and Jacob Herbers also earned spots on Phil Steele’s preseason conference teams.

Johnson’s partners on offense, running backs Ibrahim and Rodney Smith, were named to the Doak Walker Watch List for the nation’s top ball carrier. Ibrahim rushed for 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games as a freshman while Smith competed in only two games before a season-ending injury.

On the defensive side of the ball, rush end Coughlin has been racking up honors himself after a 2018 campaign with 48 total tackles and 9.5 sacks. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota, native joined Johnson on the Athlon Sports Preseason All-America list with his recognition coming on the third-team.

Coughlin earned spots on the Bronko Nagurski Preseason Watch List and the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, both for the best defensive player in college football. Nagurski himself was a Maroon and Gold standout who had his No.72 retired by the program.

Linebacker Kamal Martin also represents the Gophers defense with a spot on the Butkus Award Preseason Watch List for the sport’s best linebacker after a year with 59 total tackles.

Both Johnson and Martin have also caught the attention of Jim Nagy, executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Off the field, the Gophers have received attention as well.

Faalele earned a non-traditional honor when he was named No.11 on Bruce Feldman’s 2019 Freaks List for standing an imposing 6-foot-9 and nearly 400 pounds.

Meanwhile defensive lineman Winston DeLattiboudere was named to the Wuerfell Trophy watch list. The trophy is known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service” and given to the FBS player who best combines community service with standard academic and athletic achievement.