KANSAS CITY, Mo. – UCLA’s Shakir Nixon was named to the Herman Trophy Midseason Watch List on Friday, the United Soccer Coaches announced. Nixon was one of 30 individuals named to the list. 

Nixon, a Cerritos, California native, is in his third season in Westwood and has provided plenty of offense, despite playing as a defender in 2026. Nixon leads the team with five goals and one assist for 11 points. He is third on the team in minutes played with 721.

For his career, Nixon has played in 46 games for the Bruins, making 32 starts. He has added six goals and nine assists to his resume, and has played over 3,200 minutes throughout his collegiate career.

The Hermann Trophy is presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club and is the nation’s highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by voting of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. It is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, the legendary St. Louis, Mo., businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first pro soccer league in the United States which became the North American Soccer League. He was inducted in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.

The 2026 midseason watch list was compiled by members of the Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List Committee. A total of 15 players will be named 2026 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on December 4 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-American voting. From that list, head coaches will cast votes, and three players will be named finalists. The 2026 recipient will be announced January 8, 2027, in a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis, Mo.