Three Missouri football players were represented on the preseason Maxwell Award and Bednarik Award watch lists, which were announced Tuesday by the Maxwell Football Club.
Senior tailback Russell Hansbrough and junior quarterback Maty Mauk were two of the 80 players on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's top player.
Senior linebacker Kentrell Brothers was named to the Bednarik Award watch list, which also includes 80 players. The Bednarik award is given to the top defensive player in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Brothers is the Southeastern Conference's top returning tackler. He accounted for 122 tackles - 62 solo, 60 assists - last season while totaling five tackles-for-loss, four pass break-ups and a team-leading three forced fumbles.
He started all 14 games and was an all-SEC second team selection by the Associated Press.
Mauk enters the 2015 season with more than a season's worth of starts under his belt, having filled in for injured quarterback James Franklin in four games his freshman season and starting every game last season for the Tigers.
Missouri has won 14 of Mauk's 18 starts.
Mauk threw for 2,648 yards and 25 touchdowns last year as Missouri reached the SEC Championship game for the second straight season. He also rushed for 373 yards and two touchdowns and was sixth in the SEC in total offense.
In his 25 games played, Mauk has completed 52.9 percent of his passes. He is one of few experienced quarterbacks returning to the SEC this season.
Hansbrough has seen playing time in each of his three seasons at Missouri, racking up 1,908 total rushing yards and 14 career touchdowns.
While sharing duties with the since-departed Marcus Murphy last season, Hansbrough ran for 1,084 yards - sixth in the SEC - and 10 touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
His 199-yard performance at Texas A&M earned him SEC Offensive Player of the Week and National Tailback of the Week honors.
These are the first appearances for each Missouri player on their respective watch lists.
Missouri will open the 2015 season Sept. 5 against Southeast Missouri State at Faurot Field. Game time is 3 p.m.