New Haven, Conn. – The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of forty “players to watch” for its 2011 Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade.

Two players from the Pac-12 who were finalists for the 2010 Player of the Year award – Oregon junior running back LaMichael James and Stanford senior quarterback Andrew Luck – lead this year’s Walter Camp watch list. James, who rushed for 1,731 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Ducks, was a Walter Camp First Team All American last season, while Luck was named to the Second Team after passing for 3,338 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2010.

In addition to James and Luck, nine players who have been previously selected a Walter Camp All-American are included on the 2011 Watch List, including a pair of Big 12 wide receivers Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State) and Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma).

“We are proud to continue the great work of Walter Camp and recognize the best college football players in the nation,” Foundation president John Marks said. “This watch list is a great start to what is shaping up to be another exciting year of college football.”

The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in mid-November. The 2011 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 120 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on ESPN SportsCenter on Thursday, December 8. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s annual national awards banquet on January 14, 2012 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.

Walter Camp, “The Father of American football,” first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp – a former Yale University athlete and football coach – is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation (http://www.waltercamp.org) – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s website, http://www.ncfaa.org.

The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch lists over a 13-day period this month. Fifteen of the association’s 21 awards select a preseason watch list and this is the first time the NCFAA spearheaded a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.

2011 Walter Camp Player of the Year “Watch List”

Matt Barkley, QB, USC, Junior

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State, Junior *

Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma, Senior *

Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State, Junior

Tank Carder, LB, TCU, Senior

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina, Senior

Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State, Senior

Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska, Senior

Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas, Junior

Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri, Senior *

Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame, Senior

Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M, Senior

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor, Senior

Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois, Senior

Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego State, Sophomore

Jayron Hosley, DB, Virginia Tech, Junior *

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon, Junior *

Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina, Junior @

Brandon Jenkins, DT, Florida State, Junior

Damarais Johnson, WR, Tulsa, Senior

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma, Junior

Case Keenum, QB, Houston, Senior %

Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College, Junior *

Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina, Sophomore @

Robert Lester, DB, Alabama, Junior @

Brandon Lindsey, DE, Pittsburgh, Junior

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford, Senior @

Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy, Junior

Bryant Moniz, QB, Hawaii, Senior

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State, Senior

Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia, Sophomore

Eric Page, WR/KR, Toledo, Junior *

Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern, Senior

Chris Polk, RB, Washington, Junior

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama, Junior

Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan, Junior

Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia, Junior

Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon, Junior

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State, Senior

James White, RB, Wisconsin, Sophomore

*- 2010 Walter Camp First Team All-America selection

@ - 2010 Walter Camp Second Team All-America selection

% - 2009 Walter Camp Second Team All-America selection