Three Cincinnati football players have been tabbed to a pair of college football's highest individual award watch lists.

Senior quarterback Desmond Ridder is among 80 players nationwide who were named to the Maxwell Award pre-season watch list. The award is given annually to the college football player of the year. Meanwhile, senior defensive end Myjai Sanders and junior defensive back Ahmad Gardner were both named to the Bednarik Award watch list. That award is given to the best defensive player in college football.

Ridder is one of five players from the American Athletic Conference to make the Maxwell watch list. He joins UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin, SMU running back Ulysses Bentley and SMU wide receiver Reggie Roberson.

Ridder was a semi-finalist for the Maxwell award last season, in which he was named AAC offensive player of the year. He threw for 2,296 yards and 19 touchdowns and added 592 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing.

Sanders is one of two returning semi-finalists for the Bednarik Award, along with Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton. Last season, Sanders had a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Gardner finished last season with 28 tackles, nine passes defended and three interceptions. The latter two tied for second in the AAC.