College Confidential

A&M freshman earns Big 12 honor after first start

Texas A&M freshman free safety Trent Hunter couldn't have asked for a better debut, logging 17 tackles -- including 11 solos -- while spying the quarterback in the Aggies' 21-17 win over Army. On Monday, Hunter was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, marking the first time an A&M player has been honored this season. The former Katy standout played in place of junior Jordan Peterson, who was nursing shoulder and elbow injuries. Peterson is return to practice this week, but defensive coordinator Joe Kines said it is too early to determine who will start against No. 21 Oklahoma State.

-- Lori Dann

Theismann named 2008 Davey O’Brien Legends Award recipient

Former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann has been named the 2008 Davey O’Brien Legends Award recipient.

The award began in 2001 and honors a college or professional quarterback who made enormous contributions to the game.

Theismann will be honored at the 32nd Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner on Feb.16 in Fort Worth.

Theismann, a first-team All-American at Notre Dame, led the Fighting Irish to a No.5 ranking in 1969 and guided them to a 10-1 record the following year, including a Cotton Bowl victory over Texas.

He guided Washington to a win in Super Bowl XVII, and played in 163 straight games from 1974-1985.

Big 12 punters on Ray Guy Award watch list

Texas A&M's Justin Brantly is one of seven Big 12 punters who have been named to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top college punter. Brantly leads the league and ranks eighth nationally with a 45.78-yard average, and more than half of his punts have not been returned by opponents.

Other Big 12 punters on the list are Texas' John Gold, Texas Tech's Jonathan LaCour, Baylor's Derek Epperson, Oklahoma State's Matt Fodge, Nebraska's Dan Tichener, and Colorado's Matthew DiLallo. Also on the list are SMU's Thomas Morstead and Houston's Chase Turner.
-- Lori Dann

A&M's Goodson, Lane on Doak Walker watch list

Texas A&M tailback Mike Goodson and fullback Jorvorskie Lane are among the 43 candidates for the Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top college running back. The list also includes TCU's Joseph Turner, Nebraska's Marlon Lucky and Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, along with two upcoming Aggies opponents: Arkansas State's Reggie Arnold and New Mexico's Rodney Ferguson.

Semifinalists will be announced Nov. 10, and finalists will be named Nov. 24. The selection commitee, which will cast its final votes beginning Dec. 1, consists of former NFL All-Pro and college All-American running backs, media members and selected representatives.
-- Lori Dann

TCU's Sverritsdottir named MWC's top freshman

TCU guard Helena Sverritsdottir was selected as the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year by the league's coaches after averaging 9.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She is the school's highest-scoring freshman since Sandora Irvin (10.8 points per game in 2001-02) and just its second Freshman of the Year. Jill Sutton was the 1998 WAC Pacific Division Freshman of the Year.

Despite finishing second in the league, TCU had no players selected to the All-MWC first team. Senior guard Adrianne Ross, who shared conference Player of the Year honors last season, made the second team, while senior forward Lorie Butler-Rayford was a third-team selection and Sverritsdottir was an honorable-mention choice.

Utah, which went 16-0 in league play to win the regular-season title, had two players on the first team: senior guard Leilani Mitchell and junior guard Morgan Warburton. Mitchell was voted the Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Wyoming's Hanna Zavecz, the Defensive Player of the Year, joined them on the first team, along with UNLV senior forward Sequoia Holmes and New Mexico senior forward Dionne Marsh. Utah's Elaine Elliot was named Coach of the Year.

-- Lori Dann