Louisiana Football's defensive coordinator Patrick Toney has been recognized as one of the top assistant coaches in the country after being nominated for the 2020 Broyles Award, the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation announced on Tuesday.

Toney is one of 56 nominees in the class which were selected from approximately 1,270 assistant coaches representing 127 Division I programs across the country.

A first-year defensive coordinator, Louisiana's defense has been strong all year under Toney, currently ranking 27th nationally in scoring defense (21.8) and second in the nation with 15 interceptions.

Leading the charge for the defense is linebacker Lorenzo McCaskill, who has been credited with a team-high 72 tackles this season, while fellow linebacker Ferrod Gardner ranks second on the team in both tackles (66) and sacks (3.5). Up front, Zi'Yon Hill leads the way with 4.0 sacks and boasts 42 tackles, the third-most on the team.

In the secondary, safety Bralen Trahan leads the team in pass breakups (9), is tied for first with the most picks (4) and ranks fourth on the team in tackles (41). Trahan is currently tied for fourth nationally with 13 passes defended on the year and tied for fifth nationally with his four picks. At cornerback, Eric Garror has also produced three interceptions on the season.

Under Toney's leadership, Louisiana has forced two or more turnovers in nine games this season, posting a record of 9-0 in those games.

Toney has also guided the defense to force 21 turnovers this season, six fumbles and 15 interceptions. The 15 interceptions are the second most in the nation and the most by a Louisiana defense since 2009 when the team forced 16.

A 43-member selection committee of distinguished former head coaches, broadcasters, and a committee representing the FWAA will select 15 semi-finalists and five finalists from the list of nominees and an overall winner.

No. 17 Louisiana now shifts its focus to the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 19, against No. 11 Coastal Carolina. The title game is slated to kickoff at 11 a.m. CST and will be broadcast on either ESPN or ESPN2.