These days, it seems impossible.

Few returning starters on Power Five teams are left off preseason watch lists. With dozens and dozens of players up for individual awards that won’t be decided until December, it’s silly to take much stock into any watch list in July.

Northwestern, however, went a different route.

Garrett Dickerson earned honorable mention All-B1G last year after catching 34 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns. Even though he doesn’t run the ball and operates more like a tight end, he’s listed as a “superback.” Traditionally, the superback operates as a fullback/tight end hybrid.

So when the watch list for the John Mackey Award (given to the nation’s best tight end) came out on Tuesday, Dickerson wasn’t one of the seven B1G tight ends that made the cut.

Northwestern took to social media to point out Dickerson’s omission from the list:

It’s an interesting argument because as Northwestern tweeted, Dickerson has all the receiving marks necessary to earn consideration for the award. Who knows if after a monster season he’d even be deemed eligible to win the award.

There obviously isn’t a national award for superbacks. If there was, certainly Dickerson and Dan Vitale would’ve owned it the last few seasons.

But until every team in America follows in Northwestern’s footsteps, their superbacks probably won’t get the national recognition they feel they deserve.