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Boston College senior tight end Chris Pantale has been named to the 2012 John Mackey Award Watch List, given annually to the most outstanding tight end in college football.
Pantale has played in all 38 games in the last three seasons. He has 77 receptions for 797 yards and five touchdowns. A 6-foot-6, 255-pound senior from Wayne, N.J., Pantale recorded four receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns the team's 24-17 win at Miami in the 2011 season finale. He is making his second appearance on the Mackey Award watch list.
Pantale may be one of the players that benefits the most from Martin's new higher tempo offense. After catching 31 balls for 338 yards during his sophomore season, Pantale's production dipped last year -- 21 receptions, 236 yards -- though he did have two huge games to end the season at Notre Dame and Miami. In those final two games of the 2011 season, Pantale caught 9 passes for 130 yards and 2 TDs -- both in the Miami game.
This year's Mackey Award winner will be announced on December 6 at the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPNU.
Pantale is one of only three ACC representatives on this year's preseason Mackey Award watch list, joining Clemson senior Brandon Ford and Maryland senior Matt Furstenburg. The award has been presented annually since 2000, with just two ACC representatives winning the award -- Miami's Kellen Winslow II (2003) and Virginia's Heath Miller (2004).
Congrats, Chris! Complete 2012 John Mackey Award Watch List after the jump.
Alex Bayer (Jr., Bowling Green)
Ted Bolser (Jr., Indiana)
Chase Clement (Sr., LSU)
Jack Doyle (Sr., Western Kentucky)
Tyler Eifert (Sr., Notre Dame)
Gavin Escobar (Jr., San Diego State)
Joseph Fauria (Sr., UCLA)
C.J. Fiedorowicz (Jr., Iowa)
Brandon Ford (Sr., Clemson)
Matt Furstenburg (Sr., Maryland)
Crockett Gillmore (Jr., Colorado State)
Chris Gragg (Sr., Arkansas)
Hubie Graham (Sr., Pittsburgh)
Ryan Griffin (Sr., Connecticut)
Ryan Harper (Sr., Texas State)
Chase Hoskins (Sr., Eastern Michigan)
Garrett Johnson So., Mississippi State)
Malcolm Lutzenkirchen (Sr., Auburn)
Philip Najvar (Jr., Baylor)
Jordan Otten (Sr., San Jose State)
Ryan Pantale (Sr., Boston College)
Chris Pedersen (Jr., Wisconsin)
Jacob Pedersen (Jr., Wisconsin)
Mike Ragone (Sr., Kansas)
Kyler Reed (Sr., Nebraska)
Lucas Reed (Sr., New Mexico)
Jordan Reed (Jr., Florida)
Mychal Rivera (Sr., Tennessee)
Austin Seferian-Jenkins (So., Washington)
Dion Sims (Jr., Michigan State)
Jake Stoneburner (Sr., Ohio State)
Levine Toilolo (Jr., Stanford)
Michael Williams (Sr., Alabama)
Luke Willson (Sr., Rice)