Maxwell Football Club names pair of Nittany Lions to watch lists

Penn State’s top two players were named to a pair of top college football award watch lists by the Maxwell Football Club.

Watch list season stepped into full swing on Monday with the release of watch lists for two of the top individual awards in college football. The Maxwell Football Club released its watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award, and a pair of Penn State players made the initial cut.

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson was among those named to the Maxwell Award watch list. The Maxwell Award is awarded to the nation’s top college football player by the Maxwell Football Club.

Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker was included among those named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Bednarik Award is awarded to the nation’s top defensive player in college football.

Penn State has a storied history of Maxwell Award winners. Penn State is tied with Notre Dame for the most all-time Maxwell Award winners. Former Penn State running back Larry Johnson is the most recent recipient of the award from Penn State in 2002. Other former Penn State Maxwell Award winners include Kerry Collins (1994), Chuck Fusina (1978), John Cappelletti (1973), Mike Reid (1969), Glenn Ressler (1964), and Richie Liucas (1959).

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith won the Maxwell Award for the 2020 season.

Penn State has also seen a handful of Bednarik Award winners since first being awarded in 1995. Former linebacker LaVar Arrington was the first Bednarik Award winner from Happy Valley in 1999. Paul Posluszny won the award in back-to-back seasons in 2005 and 2006. He remains one of two back-to-back winners of the award, joining current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald won the award each of its first two seasons of being awarded in 1995 and 1996). Dan Connor won the award in 2007 to make it three consecutive years for a Penn State player winning the Bednarik Award. No school has matched that feat.

Tulsa’s Zaven Collins won the Bednarik Award for the 2020 season.

Dotson and Brisker will get their first chances to make some noteworthy highlights on September 4 when Penn State opens the 2021 season at Wisconsin in a Big Ten opener.