Maxwell Football Club Executive Director, Mark Wolpert, announced the 2022 semifinalists for the 86th Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year and the 28th Chuck Bednarik Award for the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. The respective lists include a field of 20 candidates for the Maxwell and 20 candidates for the Bednarik Award as selected by the Maxwell Football Club National Selection Committee. The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed statistical and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, and several senior PFF analysts have been added to the selection committee and have participated in the process. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete football reference in the country.
A strong field of Maxwell Award semifinalists includes representatives from 6 conferences and 1 independent school, with the PAC-12 and SEC boasting 5 candidates each and the Big Ten notching 4 spots. Bryce Young (Alabama), CJ Stroud (Ohio State) and Bijan Robinson (Texas) join the list for the second consecutive year with the remaining candidates all being first-time semifinalists.
On the defensive side of the ball, the field of contenders is comprised of fresh faces, with Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) being the lone Bednarik Award semifinalist returnee. Seven different conferences are represented, led by seven student-athletes from the Big Ten and five from the SEC.
Last season, the Maxwell Award was presented to Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and the Bednarik Award went to Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Davis was selected with the No.10 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and Young is completing his junior season for the Crimson Tide.
Semifinalist voting for both of the collegiate awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Wednesday Nov. 2 and will close on Nov. 20. Three finalists for each award will be announced on Nov. 22 and a finalist round of voting will take place at that time. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors and selected national media. All semifinalists are listed in alphabetical order by school with the player’s school, position and class designated.
The winners of the 86th Maxwell Award and the 28th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show which will be broadcast live on ESPN on December 8, 2022. The formal presentation of the Maxwell and Chuck Bednarik Awards will take place at the 86th Maxwell Awards Gala which will be held in March 2023. Questions regarding the Maxwell and Bednarik semifinalist lists can be directed to: Mark Wolpert – mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org or Rich Cirminiello – rcirminiello@maxwellfootballclub.org.
Maxwell Award Semifinalists
| First Name | Last Name | School | Position | Year |
| Bryce | Young | Alabama | QB | JR |
| Jahmyr | Gibbs | Alabama | RB | JR |
| Brock | Bowers | Georgia | TE | SO |
| Chase | Brown | Illinois | RB | JR |
| Blake | Corum | Michigan | RB | JR |
| Drake | Maye | North Carolina | QB | RS-FR |
| Michael | Mayer | Notre Dame | TE | JR |
| CJ | Stroud | Ohio State | QB | JR |
| Marvin | Harrison Jr. | Ohio State | WR | SO |
| Bo | Nix | Oregon | QB | SR |
| Israel | Abanikanda | Pittsburgh | RB | JR |
| Max | Duggan | TCU | QB | SR |
| Hendon | Hooker | Tennessee | QB | RS-SR |
| Jalin | Hyatt | Tennessee | WR | JR |
| Bijan | Robinson | Texas | RB | JR |
| DeWayne | McBride | UAB | RB | JR |
| Zach | Charbonnet | UCLA | RB | SR |
| Caleb | Williams | USC | QB | SO |
| Cam | Rising | Utah | QB | JR |
| Michael | Penix Jr. | Washington | QB | JR |
Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalists
| First Name | Last Name | School | Position | Year |
| Will | Anderson Jr. | Alabama | LB | JR |
| Kool-Aid | McKinstry | Alabama | CB | SO |
| Drew | Sanders | Arkansas | LB | JR |
| Ivan | Pace Jr. | Cincinnati | LB | SR |
| Tyler | Davis | Clemson | DT | SR |
| Christopher | Smith | Georgia | S | SR |
| Jer’Zhan | Newton | Illinois | DT | SO |
| Devon | Witherspoon | Illinois | CB | JR |
| Jack | Campbell | Iowa | LB | SR |
| Felix | Anudike-Uzomah | Kansas State | DE | JR |
| Mike | Morris | Michigan | DE | SR |
| Emmanuel | Forbes | Mississippi State | CB | JR |
| Tommy | Eichenberg | Ohio State | LB | SR |
| Jason | Henderson | Old Dominion | LB | SO |
| Joey | Porter Jr. | Penn State | CB | RS-JR |
| Calijah | Kancey | Pitt | DT | RS-JR |
| Tyree | Wilson | Texas Tech | LB | SR |
| Tuli | Tuipulotu | USC | DT | JR |
| Clark | Phillips III | Utah | CB | SO |
| John | Torchio | Wisconsin | S | SR |
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, Montage Mountain Resort, Ivy Rehab, The Buccini Pollin Group, the Edward T. Coombs Foundation and the Run Around Inc. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.