Mountain West Football: Five Named to Bednarik Award Watch List

Five Mountain West athletes are named to the 2023 watch list given to college football’s defensive player of the year.

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Mountain West Football: Five Named to Bednarik Award Watch List

Five athletes named to nation’s best defender watch list

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Watch list season wrapped up with the release of the 2023 Bednarik Award watch list. Five Mountain West athletes were named to the 2023 preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award. The Bednarik Award is given annually to college football’s defensive player of the year.

The Mountain West is used to being represented at all three levels on this watch list. This year however, only linebackers and defensive backs make the cut.

From the linebackers, Boise State’s DJ Schramm and Wyoming’s Easton Gibbs make their third watch list of 2023. Both LBs having previously been named to the Nagurski Trophy and Butkus Award watch lists. Fresno State’s Levelle Bailey was also named to his third watch list of 2023, having been named to the Nagurski Trophy and Wuerffel Trophy watch lists.

In the secondary, Air Force S Trey Taylor and Colorado State S Jack Howell continue to lead the way. Both defensive backs have also been named to the Nagurski Trophy watch list, as well as the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award watch list.

Last year’s Bednarik Award winner was Alabama’s Will Anderson.

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