PRINCETON, N.J. – Harvard senior defensive back Ty Bartrum and Yale junior defensive back Abu Kamara have been named to the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List, announced Wednesday by Stats Perform. The list features 30 of the top defensive players in FCS football.
 
The award, in its 31st season, is named for legendary defensive lineman Junious “Buck” Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Past Buchanan recipients include Dexter Coakley, Rashean Mathis and Jared Allen; Central Arkansas’ David Walker was last season’s winner.
 
Bartrum, a finalist for the Asa S. Bushnell Cup last season, has earned preseason All-America honors from FCS Football Central (first team), Phil Steele (second team) and Stats Perform (second team). The Pomeroy, Ohio, native ranked third in the Ivy League with 83 total tackles and added 5.0 tackles for loss. A playmaker in the secondary, Bartrum scored the second touchdown of his career with an 88-yard fumble return against Holy Cross.
 
Kamara emerged as a defensive force for Yale during a breakout sophomore season. The Prospect Park, Pa., native ranked second in the Ivy League with 84 tackles, including 67 solo stops. He added two interceptions -- including a 35-yard pick-six against Harvard -- and led the league with three forced fumbles. Kamara has been named a first-team preseason All-American by FCS Football Central, Phil Steele, and Stats Perform.
 
The Ivy League is set to make its historic debut in the FCS Playoffs this fall.
 
Columbia, Dartmouth, and Harvard shared the Ivy League title in 2024 following another fiercely competitive season. It marked the second consecutive year -- and just the sixth time in league history -- that three teams finished as co-champions.
 
The 2025 Ivy League football season kicks off on Friday, Sept. 19.