AMES, Iowa – Iowa State linebackers A.J. Klein and Jake Knott are on the national watch list of the Nagurski Award, given each year to recognize college football’s defensive player of the year. The award is presented annually by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Klein and Knott are among the 30 linebackers on the watch list.

Klein earned Big 12 Conference Co-Defender-of-the-Year honors from the league’s coaches in 2011. Knott was a first-team All-Big 12 honoree.  Klein ranked second in the conference with 116 tackles. Knott was third with 115 stops.