MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – As a new season is starting up, the player’s watch lists are coming out for the best players at their position for 2022. Central Michigan University has two players on watch lists in Lew Nichols III and Luke Elzinga.

Nichols (Detroit), on the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award List, led the nation in rushing last season with 1,848 yards and had 2,186 all-purpose yards. He was voted the MAC Offensive Player of the Year and was the teams MVP. The Maxwell Award goes to most outstanding player in college football while the Walker Award is for the top running back.

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Elzinga has been named to the Ray Guy Award watch list as a punter. The sophomore from Grand Rapids, Mich., averaged 41.3 yards per punt last season with 10 punts going over 50 yards. He was an All-MAC first team selection. He is also the first CMU player since 1975 to earn first-team honors that came during the 2020 season.

CMU is coming off a 9-4 year winning their bowl game and received four first-place votes in the 2022 MAC preseason poll.