Veteran outside linebacker and holder of the coveted No. 1 jersey [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Chuck Bednarik Award is awarded by the Maxwell Club each year to the nation’s defensive player of the year.
Cox Jr. has grabbed the national attention of multiple preseason watch lists and media outlets, including the All-SEC second team from Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, and the scrum at SEC media days. Cox Jr. is the seventh different Florida player to be named to a preseason award watch list: [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] (Maxwell), [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] (Butkus), [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] (Rimington), [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] (Outland), [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] (Outland), and [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright[/autotag] (Doak Walker & Wuerffel).
🚨 Watch list season continues @brenton_cox_ has been named to the Bednarik Award Watch List presented annually to the college defensive player of the year.
🔗 https://t.co/X2btYlJRHM#GoGators | #UFuture pic.twitter.com/t68hCHO7AG
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 1, 2022
Cox Jr. is looking to become the first player in Florida football history to win the Chuck Bednarik award. Nine Gators players have been named semifinalists for the award with [autotag]Jevon Kearse[/autotag] (1998) and [autotag]Brandon Spikes[/autotag] (2009) the only finalists in program history.
Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 1, with the three finalists to be announced on November 22. The winner will be announced on the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show to be held on December 8.
The Florida Gators will open the 2022 season on Saturday, September 3, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against Utah at 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
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