Walter Camp Award watch list 2017: 5 favorites to win
By John Buhler
Derwin James
Safety, Florida State Seminoles
Since a defensive player can win the Walter Camp Award, one of the guys that immediately comes to mind from this watch list is Florida State Seminoles safety Derwin James. While he is only a redshirt sophomore, he might be the best defensive talent in the college game in 2017.
It absolutely helps that the Seminoles are the favorite to win the ACC and get back to the College Football Playoff. Though Florida State has a great returning quarterback in Deondre Francois, he’s likely going to need one more year of refinement as a passer to contend for many of these major awards. However, James already stands out in the Seminoles defensive backfield.
In two years in Tallahassee, James has 102 total tackles, 9.5 for a loss of yardage and 4.5 quarterback sacks. Keep in mind that he only played two games in his true sophomore year. By the middle of September, he had to go under the knife to repair a torn meniscus and cartilage damage, thus ending his promising season.
While it hasn’t been a full year since his surgery, James should be back and ready to make an immediate impact in the middle of the Florida State defense. He’s one of those rare players that can make a play on the ball in the middle of the field, as well as disrupt the offense behind the line of scrimmage. Should he have his health, James could have a fantastic redshirt sophomore season in Tallahassee for the Seminoles.