Wan'Dale Robinson was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award in 2019, so it's no surprise he's back on the watchlist again.Â
The Nebraska sophomore wide receiver is one of 50 on the preseason list for the award, which is given annually to the most versatile offensive player in college football.Â
Versatility is a key part of Robinson's game and he showed it as a freshman. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder became just the fourth true freshman in NU history to amass 1,000-plus all-purpose yards last fall in 10 games, finishing with 340 rushing yards and catching 40 passes for 443 while totaling five touchdowns.Â
Also Thursday, senior defensive lineman Ben Stille was named to the preseason watchlist for the Wuerffel Trophy, given annually to a college football player deemed to have bst exemplified the combination of community service and athletic and academic achievement.Â
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Stille earlier this month was named to the Big Ten's list of distiguished scholar-athletes for making at least a 3.7 grade-point average. He has played in 33 career games going into his final year and has 80 tackles (21 for loss) and 11½ career sacks.Â
Robinson was used extensively at running back due to the Huskers' lack of depth at the position over the course of the season.Â
In September, Robinson logged 89 rushing yards, 79 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a comeback win at Illinois, then two weeks later had seven catches for 123 yards plus 44 rushing yards and a touchdown in a last-second win against Northwestern.Â
Robinson lost out on the Hornung Award last year to Kentucky quarterback Lynn Bowden Jr. Also featured on the watchlist this year: 2018 winner and Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore, a friend of Robinson's and fellow Kentucky native.Â
Overall there are six Big Ten players on the preseason watchlist: Robinson, Moore, Michigan's Giles Jackson, Michigan State's Connor Heyward, Iowa's Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Penn State's Journey Brown.Â