Carreon, Virgin-Morgan Earn National Watch List Nods
Carreon featured on Outland Trophy Watch List, Virgin-Morgan named to Nagurski Trophy Watch List
BOISE, Idaho – Boise State fifth year football players Roger Carreon and Jayden Virgin-Morgan each earned a spot on a national watch list, the Football Writers Association of America announced. Carreon is featured on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, presented to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman, while Virgin-Morgan was named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player.
Carreon enters his fifth year as a Bronco with 35 career games played, including 27 starts. He played in all 14 games in 2025, earning All-Mountain West honorable mention and helping the Broncos eclipse 500 yards in five games. In 2024, he saw action in six games, returning from injury to help Boise State win the MW Championship and earn a berth in the College Football Playoff. He didn’t allow any sacks that season, contributing to a unit that ranked fifth in the country with 37.3 points per game. He also appeared in all 14 games as a redshirt freshman, helping the 2023 squad rank sixth in the nation with 214.9 rushing yards per game. A native of Jal, New Mexico, Carreon was tabbed to the Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000 and secured Preseason All-Pac-12 first team honors from Phil Steele and Athlon Sports.
Virgin-Morgan has played 44 games as a Bronco, tallying 16.0 sacks, tied for 15th in school history. He also has 31.0 tackles for loss and four fumble recoveries in his career. Last season, he led the team with 6.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss, earning All-MW second team. He was an All-MW first team selection in 2024, finishing the year with 10.0 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss, ranking in the top-three in the conference and top-20 in the country in both categories. This is his second-straight season earning a spot on the Nagurski Trophy Watch List. He has also been selected to the Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000 and named Preseason All-America fourth team by Athlon Sports. Athlon Sports and Phil Steele tabbed him to their Preseason All-Pac-12 first teams.
Carreon is one of three Pac-12 players featured on the Outland Trophy Watch List, joining Fresno State defensive tackle Deijon Laffitte and Utah State center Jimmy Liston. The semifinalists for the Outland Trophy will be announced on November 18, followed by a joint announcement with ESPN of the three finalists on November 24. The 81st recipient of the Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN in December. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee in Omaha, Nebraska, on January 27, 2027.
Virgin-Morgan is one of 11 players on the watch list to be featured for the second-straight season. Of the 68 total players listed, two are from Pac-12 institutions: Virgin-Morgan, Fresno State safety Simeon Harris and Utah State safety Brevin Hamblin. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on November 19. The official presentation to the recipient of the 34th Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina, on December 7.
Broncos on 2026 Watch Lists
QB Maddux Madsen (Maxwell Award, East-West Bowl 1000, AFCA Good Hands Team Nominee)
RB Dylan Riley (Maxwell Award)
TE Matt Wagner (East-West Bowl 1000)
OL Roger Carreon (Outland Trophy, East-West Bowl 1000)
OL Daylon Metoyer (East-West Bowl 1000)
EDGE Jayden Virgin-Morgan (Bronko Nagurski Trophy, East-West Bowl 1000)
DB Jaden Mickey (East-West Bowl 1000)
DB JeRico Washington Jr. (East-West Bowl 1000)
HC Spencer Danielson (Dodd Trophy)
–BroncoSports.com–
