After picking the perfect year to debut, the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award is back and released its 36-man watch list for the 2015 season on Tuesday. Headlining this year's list are Notre Dame tackle Ronnie Stanley, Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon, Oregon State lineman Isaac Seumalo, BYU defensive end Bronson Kaufusi, Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner and USC's Su'a Cravens and JuJu Smith. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry. Oregon quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota was the award's inaugural recipient in 2014. The full breakdown of players on the watch list by conference is as follows: Pac-12 (17), Mountain West (7), Independents (6), Big 12 (3), Sun Belt (2) and Big Ten (1). Here's the complete watch list (36 nominees): OL Siaosi Aiono, Utah DE Kalei Auelua, New Mexico State DL DeForest Buckner, Oregon DL Kamalei Correa, Boise State LB Su'a Cravens, USC K Ka'imi Fairbairn, UCLA TE Siale Fakailoatonga, Utah OL Alex Fifita, Fresno State QB Salamo Fiso, Arizona State OL Isaiah Folasa-Lutui, New Mexico State OL Tuni Kanuch, BYU OL Nila Kasitati, Oklahoma DL Bronson Kaufusi, BYU OL Ului Lapuaho, BYU QB Sefo Liufau, Colorado OL Toa Lobendahn, USC LB Tau Lotulelei, UNLV DL Lowell Lotulelei, Utah LB Laiu Moeakiola, Arizona State DL Bryan Mone, Michigan LB Manoa Pikula, BYU DL Ian Seau, Nevada OL Isaac Seumalo, Oregon State WR JuJu Smith, USC QB Anu Solomon, Arizona OL Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame LB Christian Tago, San Jose State OL Viane Talamaivao, USC OL Vi Teofilo, Arizona State DL Mike Tuaua, TCU OL Siosifa Tufunga, Washington DL Travis Tuiloma, BYU DL Kennedy Tulimasealii, Hawaii OL Halapoulivaati Vaitai, TCU DB Peni Vea, UNLV OL Psalm Wooching, Washington
Five finalists for the award will be unveiled on Nov. 19, and the winner will be honored on Dec. 8. Former coaches Dick Tomey, LaVell Edwards, Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil and ex-NFLPA president Kevin Mawae are among the members of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame's selection committee.
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