There are plenty of new faces gracing the 2018 Bednarik Award watch list form the Maxwell Football Club. After three 2017 finalists for the award all moved on to the NFL, there will be some new names to keep a close eye on for the top defensive player award in college football from the Maxwell Football Club.
Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, and USC all landed three players on the watch list for the award. Alabama has also had a player win the Bednarik Award each of the past two seasons, becoming the first school with two consecutive Bednarik Award winners since LSU had back-to-back winners in 2010 and 2011 (Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, respectively). Jonathan Allen won the Bednarik Award in 2016 and Minkah Fitzpatrick took home the award last fall for the Crimson Tide.
Some key names to note on this year’s Bednarik Award watch list include Houston’s Ed Oliver, Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, Clemson’s Dexter Lawrence, Duke’s Joe Giles-Harris, Mississippi State’s Jeffery Simmons, and NIU’s Sutton Smith. All were semifinalists for the award a year ago.
Here is this year’s Bednarik Award watch list:
LB Curtis Akins, Memphis
LB Dakota Allen, Texas Tech
LB Josh Allen, Kentucky
DE Zach Allen, Boston College
LB Jeffrey Allison, Fresno State
LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Florida Atlantic
DE Bradlee Anae, Utah
LB Joe Bachie, Michigan State
LB Markus Bailey, Purdue
CB Deandre Baker, Georgia
DE Ben Banogu, TCU
LB Thomas Barber, Minnesota
DT Terry Beckner, Missouri
CB Julian Blackmon, Utah
DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State
DE Brian Burns, Florida State
LB Devin Bush, Michigan
LB Te’von Coney, Notre Dame
DE Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan
CB Javaris Davis, Auburn
DE Raekwon Davis, Alabama
S Lukas Denis, Boston College
LB Joe Dineen, Kansas
S D’Cota Dixon, Wisconsin
LB Tyrel Dodson, Texas A&M
LB Troy Dye, Oregon
S Mike Edwards, Kentucky
LB T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin
DE Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech
DE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
LB Paddy Fisher, Northwestern
DT Greg Gaines, Washington
DE Rashan Gary, Michigan
DE Joe Gaziano, Northwestern
CB Mark Gilbert, Duke
LB Ulysees Gilbert, Akron
LB Joe Giles-Harris, Duke
DE Carl Granderson, Wyoming
LB Porter Gustin, USC
LB Breckyn Hager, Texas
LB De’Jon Harris, Arkansas
DT Trysten Hill, UCF
LB Khalil Hodge, Buffalo
CB Alijah Holder, Stanford
CB Tyler Horton, Boise State
DE Jalen Jelks, Oregon
LB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
LB Gary Johnson, Texas
S Jaquan Johnson, Miami
DT Kingsley Keke, Texas A&M
DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson
LB David Long, West Virginia
DE Shareef Miller, Penn State
DE Anthony Nelson, Iowa
LB Bobby Okereke, Stanford
DT Ed Oliver, Houston
CB Brian Peavy, Iowa State
LB Justin Phillips, Oklahoma State
LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami
S Delvon Randall, Temple
S Taylor Rapp, Washington
LB Malik Reed, Nevada
LB David Reese, Florida
DT Dontavius Russell, Auburn
NG Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State
LB Cameron Smith, USC
DE Sutton Smith, NIU
LB Ty Summers, TCU
LB Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
S Marvell Tell, USC
S Jalen Thompson, Washington State
S Juan Thornhill, Virginia
NG Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame
DT Ricky Walker, Virginia Tech
S Nigel Warrior, Tennessee
LB Devin White, LSU
DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson
CB Greedy Williams, LSU
LB Mack Wilson, Alabama
S Andrew Wingard, Wyoming
DE Chase Winovich, Michigan
DT Daniel Wise, Kansas
DE D.J. Wonnum, South Carolina
LB Charles Wright, Vanderbilt
DE Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion