Tag: Bednarik Award

Four Notre Dame Players Selected as Semifinalists for Various Awards

Notre Dame just completed its second perfect regular season in three years, and that has not gone unnoticed.

Notre Dame just completed its second perfect regular season in three years, and that has not gone unnoticed. On Monday, various college football awards released their semifinalist lists. That brought a whole bunch of good news for the Irish. Four Notre Dame players are up for five of the most coveted awards in the land.

Ian Book made two semifinalist lists: The Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, for which he previously was named a semifinalist in 2018. Kyren Williams is the only freshman, either true or redshirt, to make the list for the Doak Walker Award, which honors the top running back both on and off the field. Both Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Kyle Hamilton are up for the Chuck Bedarnik Award for Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year.

When you have a season like the Irish just had, hardware is bound to come your way, and the chances of that happening in 2020 just got a nice boost.

3 USC Trojans named to Bednarik Award watch list

Three USC Trojans defensive players, Jay Tufele, Drake Jackson and Talanoa Hufanga, were named to the Bednarik Award watch list.

In case you were worried attention was only being paid to USC’s offensive players during the preseason award campaign, never fear – three Trojans defensive players; defensive tackle Jay Tufele, defensive tackle Drake Jackson and safety Talanoa Hufanga, were all named to the Bednarik Award watch list – given to the nation’s top defensive player.

Jackson is entering his sophomore season after making the freshman All-American team last year, when he racked up 46 tackles, 11.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks.

Hufanga was on the All-PAC-12 second team last year after recording 90 tackles, second on the team, along with 7.5 tackles for loss.

Tufele is likely the best bet, as he is cropping up on a handful of first round mock drafts this offseason – with many expecting a breakout campaign in 2020. He was a PAC-12 first teamer in 2019 when he racked up 41 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks.

USC has had one Bednarik Award winner, linebacker Rey Maualuga, who won the award back in 2008.

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Patrick Surtain and Dylan Moses named to Bednarik Award watch list

Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses and Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain were named to the Bednarik Award watch list.

Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses and Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain were named to the Bednarik Award watch list.

Moses was predicted to be a first round pick entering the 2019 season until a torn ACL scratched those plans. Moses sat out the entire season and was one of the players Alabama missed on defense the most. In his first two seasons for Alabama, Moses had 116 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass deflection. As the season progresses, and if he can stay healthy, look for Moses to continue to climb up the draft spots in mock drafts leading up the draft. He has an incredible skill set, is a leader, and will be on a mission to prove himself in his senior season for the Crimson Tide.

Surtain has been a starter for Alabama since starting as a true freshman in 2018. In his career, he has recorded 79 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 2 interceptions. Surtain will be looking to have an NFL career like his father, Patrick Surtain, who spent 10 years in the NFL playing cornerback for the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs.

KJ Britt named to 2020 Bednarik Award Watch List

The linebacker made 69 total tackles as a junior in 2019.

KJ Britt will be one of the vocal leaders for the 2020 Auburn defense after a junior season that saw the Oxford, Ala. native make 69 total tackles (37 solo) along with 10 tackles for a loss and two sacks.

On Monday, it was announced that the senior linebacker has been named to the 2020 Bednarik Award Watch List.

The Bednarik Award has been given annually to the best defensive player in college football since its inception in 1995.

MSU Football LB Antjuan Simmons named to Bednarik Award watch list

Michigan State Football Linebacker Antjuan Simmons has been named to the Bednarik Award watch list. Read more details today.

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Pandemic or not, watch list season is upon us for the upcoming 2020 college football season. Michigan State Football LB Antjuan Simmons has been added to the Bednarik Award watch list, which is awarded to the College Defensive Player of the Year.

In the 2019-20 season, Simmons led the Spartans with 90 total tackles and recorded the second-highest number of solo tackles and assisted tackles. If there is a 2020 college football season, Simmons will likely tally up big numbers yet again.

Simmons was also named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list just last month.

Antjuan Simmons has been incredibly vocal this off-season, including his comments on the George Floyd protests. There is a high probability he is named team captain, especially since he will be a senior this season.

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Chase Young wins 2019 Bednarik Award

Ohio State defensive end Chase Young has added another award to his trophy case by taking home the 2019 Chuck Bednarik Award.

Tonight was the 2019 Home Depot College Football Awards Show and there were plenty of Ohio State players on hand hoping to have their name called. Unfortunately for guys like Justin Fields, Jeff Okudah, and J.K. Dobbins, they didn’t get the awards they were up for. But one guy did take one home, and that was none other than defensive end Chase Young whose trophy case continues to expand.

After leading the country in tackles for loss per game, as well as sacks with 16.5 total, Young was named the 2019 Chuck Bednarik award winner. The award was first handed out in 1995 and goes to college football’s best defender annually.  He beat out defensive tackle Derrick Brown of Auburn and Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

Despite all the talent that has come through the OSU program, Young is the first player from Ohio State to win the award. He now has won not only the Bednarik, but the Bronko Nagurski, Ted Hendricks, Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football, and also was named the Big Ten’s best defensive lineman and defensive player of the year.

Young is still a finalist for the Heisman and will be in New York for that ceremony, but LSU’s Joe Burrow is expected to win that one going away.

Ohio State defensive end Chase Young wins 2019 Bronko Nagurski Award

Ohio State defensive end Chase Young is taking home the 2019 Bronko Nagurski Award that goes to college football’s best defender annually.

For the second time since in the award’s history, an Ohio State player has won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy given out to the nation’s best defender in college football annually. That’s right, defensive end Chase Young was recognized by the Football Writers Association of America in Charlotte Monday night.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis was the other Buckeye to take home the honor in 2006, which has been handed out since 1993. Young beat out Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, Georgia safety J.R. Reed, Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons and Minnesota defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. who were also finalists.

“It’s such an honor to come in here and see all of the great players that have won this award, and have a chance to put my name in that category with some of the all-time great college football players,” Young said. “It’s definitely amazing.”

Young was expected to do big things this year, but perhaps nobody could have predicted how dominant he was coming off the edge. He led the country in sacks and set the single-season record at Ohio State with 16.5. More than that though, he was more disruptive than any defensive player we’ve seen in a long, long time.

It got to the point where teams like Michigan and Wisconsin began double and triple teaming him on almost every play just to neutralize the impact he had in games.

Congrats to one of the all-time great defensive lineman in Ohio State history on such a momentous award.