Tag: Bednarik Award

Xavier Watts named as semifinalist for major award

Xavier Watts is one of 20 semifinalists for a major award.

Notre Dame safety [autotag]Xavier Watts[/autotag] is a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award.

Watts has been one of the best, if not the best, defensive players for the No. 8 Fighting Irish, and now he might get rewarded for it.

The Bednarik award, named after Chuck Bednarik, was founded in 1995 by the Maxwell Football Club and given to the best defensive player in college football.

Watts has 35 tackles — 22 solo — one forced fumble and three interceptions so far this season.

Other semifinalists include Iowa’s Jay Higgins, South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard, and Jahdae Barron and Anthony Hill Jr. from Texas. There are 20 semifinalists overall.

Xavier Watts could be headed for another national award this fall
Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) celebrates after an interception against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tim on X: @tehealey

Abdul Carter and Kevin Winston Jr. named on Bednarik Award watch list

Penn State has four all-time Bednarik Award winners. Will eihter of these two watch list players be the fifth?

College football’s award watch list season is drawing near a close, but a couple of Penn State players managed to get their names on a notable watch list this week. Defensive end Abdul Carter and safety Kevin Winston Jr. were each named on this year’s watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which honors the nation’s top defensive player by the Maxwell Football Club.

Carter has also appeared on the watch lists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Walter Camp Player of the Year. Carter made a notable offseason move from linebacker to defensive end, although head coach James Franklin has suggested fans will see Carter play multiple positions this season depending on what the defense needs.

Penn State has had three players combine for four all-time Bednarik Awards in program history. LaVar Arrington was the first Nittany Lion to win the award in 1999. Paul Posluszny won back-to-back Bednarik Awards in 2005 and 2006 to become the second two-time and back-to-back winner of the award (Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald won the first two Bednarik Awards in 1995 and 1996). Dan Conner made it three Bednarik Awards in a row with his honor in 2007.

Last year’s winner of the Bednarik Award was NC State linebacker Payton Wilson (now with the Pittsburgh Steelers). The last Big Ten player to win the Bednarik Award was Ohio State defensive end Chase Young in 2019.

Other notable past winners of the Bednarik Award include Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska, 2009), Patrick Peterson (LSU, 2010) Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh, 2013), Julius Peppers (North Carolina, 2001), and Charles Woodson (Michigan, 1997).

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

Two Alabama defenders named to the Bednarik Award watch list

Bednarik Award watch list includes two Alabama defenders.

While Nick Saban was the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide he assembled some of the greatest defenses college football has ever seen. There was almost a certain level of fear and mystique playing against those teams.

Now, the Crimson Tide may be under new leadership in head coach Kalen DeBoer but don’t think for a second that means that the standard for defense is going to change.

There will be some difficulties, especially on the defensive side of the ball replacing guys like Dallas Turner, Terrion Arnold, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Chris Braswell who were all selected in the first two rounds of the 2024 NFL draft. The Alabama roster was also hit pretty hard by the transfer portal when Saban announced his retirement.

Despite the changes, there is still a ton of talent on this Alabama roster. Malachi Moore and Deontae Lawson will be the veteran leaders on this team, and they were also named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award.

The Bednarik Award has been presented annually to the best defensive player in college football dating back to 1995 when Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern won the award. Only two members of the Crimson Tide have ever won it in Jonathan Allen (2016) and Will Anderson (2022). North Carolina State’s Payton Wilson was the winner a season ago.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Shemar Turner and Nic Scourton named to the Bednarik Award Preseason Watchlist

The Maxwell Club have named Shemar Turner and Nic Scourton to the Bednarik Award Preseason Watchlist

This might sound like a broken record, but Texas A&M defenders Shemar Turner and Nic Scourton have been named another defensive preseason award watchlist. On Monday, the Maxwell Football Club named both defensive linemen to the Bednarik Award Preseason Watchlist.

The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full-time player on both offense and defense.

Turner tallied 33 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 10.5 TFLs, and a blocked pair of kicks. He also finished the season with an All-SEC Second Team selection. Scourton recorded 50 tackles, 10.0 sacks, 15 TFLs, and finished the season with an All-Big Ten Second Team selection after his final season with Purdue.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.

Big 12 lands 13 players on Bednarik Award watch list

13 players from the Big 12 conference were named to the Bednarik Award watch list as college football’s best defensive player.

The Chuck Bednarik watch list was announced earlier this week, and 13 members of the Big 12 were named to the list. This award is given to the best defensive player in college football.

The Bednarik Award is named after Chuck Bednarik, who was a 2x NFL Champion and 10x 1st Team All-Pro Linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949-1962. Chuck was the last player in NFL history to play both ways of the ball full-time. Bednarik is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.  This award was established in 1995.

The five most recent winners of the award are Payton Wilson (NC State), Will Anderson Jr (Alabama), Jordan Davis (Georgia), Zaven Collins (Tulsa), and Chase Young (Ohio State).

The Big 12 members that were nominated to the list this season are:

  • CB Tacario Davis, Arizona
  • DE Tyler Batty, BYU
  • DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
  • EDGE B.J. Green, Colorado
  • CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
  • S Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State
  • CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas
  • LB Austin Moore, Kansas State
  • LB Nick Martin, Oklahoma State
  • LB Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State
  • LB Namdi Obiazor, TCU
  • DT Lee Hunter, UCF
  • DT Junior Tafuna, Utah

Barrett Carter, Peter Woods land on Bednarik Award watch list

Barrett Carter and Peter Woods were two of 19 ACC players named to the list.

Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter and defensive tackle Peter Woods were named to the 2024 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List Monday. Carter and Woods were two of 19 ACC players chosen.

As a junior in 2023, Carter finished with 62 tackles (37 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one interception in 12 games. He also had a fumble recovery and five passes defended last season.

The Bednarik Award is the latest preseason watch list that Carter has been named to. He was also named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy and Wuerffel Trophy watch lists. Athlon Sports and Lindy’s named Carter a preseason First Team All-American while Walter Camp and Phil Steele named him Second Team All-American.

For his part, Woods is coming off a strong freshman season in which he was credited with 27 tackles (13 solo, 2.5 for loss) and a forced fumble in 12 games.

The Bednarik Award has been presented annually to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994. It is named in honor of the late College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker.

NC State’s Payton Wilson Jr. won the Bednarik Award last season.

Semifinalists for the award will be announced Nov. 4 with the three finalists announced Nov. 26. The winner of the Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the The Home Depot College Football Awards Show, Dec. 12 on ESPN.

Clemson opens the 2024 season Aug. 31 against Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (noon ET, ABC).

Follow us at @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and commentary.

Echols and Rucker listed on 2024 Bednarik Award watch list

Two defensive stalwarts for the Tar Heels find themselves on a prestigious award watch list this season.

Two North Carolina Tar Heel defensive players are listed on the released watch list of the 2024 Bednarik Award. Kaimon Rucker and Power Echols look to anchor the Tar Heel defense to an excellent season this year.

Echols is a 5-foot-11, 220-pound linebacker who finished last season with 103 total tackles including 5.5 for a loss, those both tie and beat career highs. He also had one interception and two forced fumbles on the year in 13 games.

The senior linebacker, Rucker, finished his 2023 campaign with 61 total tackles and a whopping 15.0 for a loss. To put that dominance into perspective, he had just 15.5 total tackles for a loss heading into last season over his first three seasons.

He also added 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

They will both be up for one of the top defensive awards of the year.

According to goheels.com, “The winners of the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.”

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Dallas Turner named a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award: the nation’s top defender

Dallas Turner being recognized as one of the top defensive players in college football

Despite being a high-end recruit and a very talented player himself, the first two years of [autotag]Dallas Turner’s[/autotag] collegiate career were spent in Will Anderson’s shadow. Turner was sensational his first two years as he combined for 67 tackles and 12.5 sacks, but Anderson was the star of the defense during that span with 152 total tackles and an insane 27.5 sacks. With insane numbers like that Anderson was viewed as a generational prospect and declared for the 2023 NFL Draft after just his junior year where he was selected third overall by the Houston Texans.

Now, with Anderson out of the picture, Turner has became the superstar of the Alabama defense. Through 12 games this season, Turner is already at 46 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles as he is able to just pin his ears back and go get after the passer. It feels like every time that there is a crucial third down, 15 is somewhere around the ball.

Turner will more than likely be a First-Team All-American and Firs-Team All-SEC, but it sounds like he will also be in contention for the Chuck Bednarik Award which is handed out annually to the nation’s top defensive player. Turner would be the 4th player under Coach Saban at Alabama to win the award alongside Jonathan Allen 2016, Minkah Fitzpatrick 2017 and Will Anderson in 2022.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Edgerrin Cooper named as a Bednarik Award semifinalist

Junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper was among the semifinalists for this prestigious award.

It was a shock to many that All-American caliber linebacker Edgerrin Cooper was snubbed off the 2023 Butkus Award Semifinalist list considering the number he’s put up so far this season. Showing no signs of slowing down Cooper brushed that off and led the team with 11 tackles.

Cooper took a huge leap forward this season and his draft stock is shooting up as the season is going along. I’d expect to see him named as a finalist when the time comes with a strong case as the winner.

Below you can see the stats through 10 games:

  • 70 Tackles
  • 16 Tackles for Loss
  • 7 sacks
  • 2 forced fumbles

With two games left, Cooper still has a great chance to hit some milestones that would look great for any postseason awards. Congratulations to the junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper on him making it to the stage of the selection process.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Trotter named a Bednarik Award Semifinalist

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been phenomenal this season and has been selected as a Bednarik Award semifinalist for his play.

The Maxwell Football Club announced today that linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been named as one of 20 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented annually to the nation’s top defensive player. More information from the Maxwell Football Club is included below.

Maxwell Football Club Executive Director, Mark Wolpert, announced the 2023 semifinalists for the 87th Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year and the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award for the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. The lists include a field of 17 candidates for the Maxwell Award 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, with the SEC boasting 6 candidates each and the Big Ten and Big 12 notching 3 spots each. Caleb Williams (USC), the 2022 Maxwell Award winner, leads this class of candidates which features 11 quarterbacks, 3 wide receivers, 2 running backs and 1 tight end.

On the defensive side of the ball, the field of contenders is comprised of fresh faces. Seven different conferences and 1 independent are represented, led by 4 student-athletes each from the Big Ten and SEC and 3 each from the Big 12 and ACC.

Last season, the Maxwell Award was presented to USC quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bednarik Award went to Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. Anderson was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft by the Houston Texans and Williams is completing his junior season for the Trojans.

Semifinalist voting for both of the collegiate awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin on Wednesday Nov. 14 and will close on Nov. 26. Three finalists for each award will be announced on Nov. 28 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 87th Maxwell Award and the 29th 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 Friday December 8, 2023. The formal presentation of the Maxwell and Chuck Bednarik Awards will take place at the 87th Maxwell Awards Gala which will be held on Friday March 8, 2024.

MAXWELL AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama
QB Jordan Travis, Florida State
QB Carson Beck, Georgia
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty
WR Malik Nabers, LSU
QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
WR Luther Burden III, Missouri
QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
WR Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State
QB Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma
RB Ollie Gordon Jr, Oklahoma State
QB Bo Nix, Oregon
QB Caleb Williams, USC
QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington

BEDNARIK AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
LB Dallas Turner, Alabama
LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr, Clemson
DB Malaki Starks, Georgia
DL Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
DB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
DB T.J Tampa, Iowa State
DL Jalen Green, James Madison
DL Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
DL Kris Jenkins, Michigan
DB Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
LB Payton Wilson, NC State
DL Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
DL T’Vondre Sweat, Texas
LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
DL Laiatu Latu, UCLA
DE Jonah Elliss, Utah
CB Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia

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.

ABOUT PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS – PFF is widely recognized as the industry leader in the advanced data collection and analysis for American football. Since 2011, PFF has led football’s charge into the world of analytics. Their services are trusted by all 32 NFL teams and over 100 FBS programs. Major broadcast networks, national media outlets and player agencies all use PFF as a resource as well. PFF’s media network provides fans with apps, tools, podcasts and other content to help satisfy their thirst for deeper insights in the game.

The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.