Most of these Watch Lists won't come out until late July/early August.
Here's a rundown of the award from Fighting Irish Media:
Graduate student defensive lineman Howard Cross III and junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison were named candidates for the 2024 Lott IMPACT Trophy this week.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy annually goes to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year, a player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. The award is named for NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott during his illustrious playing career.
Morrison and Cross III join a watch list comprised of 42 candidates including 18 defensive backs, 13 defensive linemen and 11 linebackers.
Cross III was a quarterfinalist for the award in 2023, and earned Lott Trophy Player of the Week honors for his performance against Duke that season. In 2023, he earned Second Team All-America honors from FWAA, Walter Camp, the Associated Press and The Sporting News. He was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, starting all 13 games for Notre Dame. He piled up 66 stops in 2023, which ranked second among all Power 5 front-four defensive lineman.
In 2023, Morrison was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, and earned Freshman All-America honors in 2022. He led the Irish with 10 pass breakups in 2023, recording 31 tackles (25 solo). Morrison also intercepted three passes on the season, a mainstay on a defense that led all FBS teams in pass efficiency defense in 2023 (97.09).
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o won the Lott Trophy in 2012, and is the only Notre Dame player to have won the award.
The annual winner is selected by a national voter panel, consisting of former winners, members of the media, coaches, and members of the Board of Directors of The IMPACT Foundation.
The winner will be announced at a gala, black-tie event at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California on December 8.
