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NOTE: CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a voter for the Maxwell and Bednarik awards, two of the most prestigious individual awards in college football, both of which are presented by the Maxwell Football Club.
The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch list for the 28th Chuck Bednarik Award presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football.
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.
The Bednarik Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, led by Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) who is the lone returning finalist from 2021, as the majority of this year’s candidate group features fresh faces. The full list consists of 90 players with Alabama, Clemson and Georgia having 3 candidates each and an additional 9 schools having two players represented.
Last year’s Chuck Bednarik Award winner was Jordan Davis (Georgia) who went on to be the 1st round selection of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 NFL Draft. Davis joins Georgia great David Pollack (2004) as the Dawgs second Bednarik Award recipient.
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF), XOS and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, and several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine. XOS provides the Maxwell Club selection committee with access to game footage from all FBS colleges.
Vince Sanford, Air Force, Senior, LB
Will Anderson, Alabama, Junior, LB
Jordan Battle, Alabama, Senior, S
Henry To’o To’o, Alabama, Senior, LB
Steven Jones, Appalachian State, Senior, CB
Bumper Pool, Arkansas, Senior, LB
Jalen Catalon, Arkansas, Senior, S
Andre Carter, Army, Senior, LB
Colby Wooden, Auburn, Junior, DE
Derick Hall, Auburn, Senior, DE
Siaki Ika, Baylor, Junior, DT
Scott Matlock, Boise State, Senior, DT
Josh DeBerry, Boston College, Senior, DB
Darren Anders, Bowling Green, Senior, LB
James Patterson, Buffalo, Senior, LB
Keenan Pili, BYU, Junior, LB
Deshawn Pace, Cincinnati, Junior, LB
Myles Murphy, Clemson, Junior, DE
Bryan Bresee, Clemson, Sophomore,DT
Trenton Simpson, Clemson, Junior, LB
Josaiah Stewart, Coastal Carolina, Sophomore,DE
Dequan Jackson, Colorado State, Senior, LB
Shaka Heyward, Duke, Senior, LB
Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan, Junior, DE
Brenton Cox, Florida, Senior, LB
Jammie Robinson, Florida State, Junior, DB
Evan Williams, Fresno State, Senior, S
Jalen Carter, Georgia, Junior, DT
Nolan Smith, Georgia, Senior, LB
Kelee Ringo, Georgia, Sophomore,CB
Gervarrius Owens, Houston, Senior, S
Tiawan Mullen, Indiana, Senior, CB
Riley Moss, Iowa, Senior, CB
Jack Campbell, Iowa, Senior, LB
Will McDonald, Iowa State, Senior, DE
Kenny Logan, Kansas, Junior, S
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State, Junior, DE
Yasir Abdullah, Louisville, Senior, LB
BJ Ojulari, LSU, Junior, DE
Abraham Beauplan, Marshall, Senior, LB
Quindell Johnson, Memphis, Senior, S
James Williams, Miami, Sophomore,S
Mazi Smith, Michigan, Senior, DT
Xavier Henderson, Michigan State, Senior, S
Jordan Ferguson, Middle Tennessee, Senior, D
Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State, Junior, CB
Isaiah McGuire, Missouri, Senior, DE
Drake Thomas, NC State, Junior, LB
Payton Wilson, NC State, Junior, LB
Luke Reimer, Nebraska, Junior, LB
Dom Peterson, Nevada, Senior, DT
Chris Ojoh, New Mexico State, Senior, LB
Myles Murphy, North Carolina, Junior, DT
KD Davis, North Texas, Senior, LB
CJ Brown, Northern Illinois, Sophomore,S
Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame, Junior, DE
Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame, Junior, S
Zach Harrison, Ohio State, Senior, DE
Ronnie Hickman, Ohio State, Junior, S
Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma, Junior, DT
Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State, Sophomore,DE
Noah Sewell, Oregon, Sophomore,LB
Omar Speights, Oregon State, Junior, LB
Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State, Senior, S
Joey Porter, Penn State, Junior, CB
Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh, Junior, DT
Habakkuk Baldonado, Pittsburgh, Senior, DE
Patrick McMorris, San Diego State, Senior, S
Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State, Senior, DE
Darrell Luter, South Alabama, Junior, CB
Cam Smith, South Carolina, Junior, CB
Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford, Senior, CB
Mikel Jones, Syracuse, Junior, LB
TreíVius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU, Senior, CB
DeMarvion Overshown, Texas, Senior, LB
Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, Junior, DB
Jordan Revels, Texas State, Junior, LB
Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech, Senior, LB
Jamal Hines, Toledo, Senior, LB
Carlton Martial, Troy, Senior, LB
Tuli Tuipulotu, USC, Junior, DT
Clark Phillips, Utah, Sophomore,CB
Praise Amaewhule, UTEP, Junior, DE
Rashad Wisdom, UTSA, Senior, S
Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt, Senior, LB
Nick Jackson, Virginia, Senior, LB
Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington, Junior, DE
Ron Stone, Washington State, Junior, DE
Dante Stills, West Virginia, Senior, DT
Nick Herbig, Wisconsin, Junior, LB
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 1, 2022, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled November 22, 2022. The winners of the 28th Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 8, 2022. The formal presentations of the award will be made at the 86th Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala live from Atlantic City, NJ on March 10, 2023.
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, Ivy Rehab, SAFR, the ETC Foundation and the Run Around Inc. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
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.
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