Bresee, Turner on Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and safety Nolan Turner have been named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, a former standout at the University of Pennsylvania and with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67.
The Bednarik Award watch list is comprised of 90 candidates on the defensive side of the ball. Last year’s winner Zaven Collins (Tulsa) and fellow finalists Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame) and Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) have all moved on to the NFL. The list features two returning semifinalists from 2020, Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati) and Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame). There are 11 schools that have two candidates on the Bednarik watch list.
2021 BEDNARIK AWARD WATCH LIST
LB Will Anderson, Alabama
CB Josh Jobe, Alabama
DE Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State
CB Shaun Jolly, Appalachian State
CB Chase Lucas, Arizona State
LB Grant Morgan, Arkansas
S Jalen Catalon, Arkansas
LB Zakoby McClain, Auburn
DB Jalen Pitre, Baylor
LB Terrel Bernard, Baylor
LB James Patterson, Buffalo
LB Cameron Goode, Cal
DE Troy Hairston, Central Michigan
LB Troy Brown, Central Michigan
DE Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
CB Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson
S Nolan Turner, Clemson
DE Jeffrey Gunter, Coastal Carolina
LB Nate Landman, Colorado
DE Scott Patchan, Colorado State
DT Travis Jones, Connecticut
CB Kaiir Elam, Florida
LB Amari Gainer, Florida State
DT Jordan Davis, Georgia
LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia
CB Derrick Canteen, Georgia Southern
LB Darius Muasau, Hawaii
CB Marcus Jones, Houston
LB Jake Hansen, Illinois
LB Micah McFadden, Indiana
CB Tiawan Mullen, Indiana
DE Will McDonald, Iowa State
LB Mike Rose, Iowa State
DE Durrell Johnson, Liberty
S Bralen Trahan, Louisiana
LB Tyler Grubbs, Louisiana Tech
CB Derek Stingley, LSU
CB Eli Ricks, LSU
S Quindell Johnson, Memphis
S Bubba Bolden, Miami
DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
S Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee
CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
DE Trajan Jeffcoat, Missouri
LB Diego Fagot, Navy
LB Payton Wilson, NC State
LB Lawson Hall, Nevada
LB Jeremiah Gemmel, North Carolina
S Brandon Joseph, Northwestern
S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
DT Haskell Garrett, Ohio State
DE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
LB Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
DE Isaiah Thomas, Oklahoma
LB Malcolm Rodriguez, Oklahoma State
S Kolby Harvell-Peel, Oklahoma State
DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
LB Avery Roberts, Oregon State
S Jaquan Brisker, Penn State
DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
DE George Karlaftis, Purdue
LB Olakunle Fatukasi, Rutgers
DE Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
LB Caden McDonald, San Diego State
DE Cade Hall, San Jose State
DE Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina
DE Ochaun Mathis, TCU
CB Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
DT Keondre Coburn, Texas
DE DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M
LB Colin Schooler, Texas Tech
DT Desjuan Johnson, Toledo
LB Carlton Martial, Troy
LB Dorian Williams, Tulane
DT Jaxon Player, Tulsa
LB Kris Moll, UAB
LB Drake Jackson, USC
LB Devin Lloyd, Utah
LB Justin Rice, Utah State
DE Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
S Rashad Wisdom, UTSA
LB Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
CB Trent McDuffie, Washington
DT Dante Stills, West Virginia
DE DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky
DT Ralph Holley, Western Michigan
LB Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin
LB Chad Muma, Wyoming