Daily Blog •July 6, 2011

In the next 3 days I will be examining some of the preseason watch lists that have been released for college football’s top players.

I take pride in being a member of several different College Football Awards including the Maxwell Football Club and got the chance to attend the Club’s Awards Dinner this past year in Atlantic City. I am also happy to say that I take part in compiling the preseason and postseason watch lists with some of the members and yesterday the Club released their 2011 watch lists for the 75th annual Maxwell Award and the 17th annual Bednarik Award.

Today I will break down the Bednarik Award List, which has been presented to the nation's top defensive player since 1995. A former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, Chuck 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.

Last year’s winner was LSU CB Patrick Peterson and returning Bednarik Award semifinalists from 2010 include Florida State DE Brandon Jenkins, Boston College LB Luke Kuechly, and Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o.

Here is the complete list.

2011 Bednarik Award Watch List

NAME LAST NAME SCHOOL
POSITION
CLASS
CONF
Ray Ray Armstong Miami
 S
 Jr.
ACC
Ryan Baker LSU
 LB
 Jr.
SEC
Mark Barron Alabama
 S
 Sr.
SEC
Jake Bequette Arkansas
 DE
 Sr.
SEC
Brandon Boykin Georgia
 CB
 Sr.
SEC
Nigel Bradham Florida State
 LB
 Sr.
ACC
Tanner Brock TCU
 LB
 Jr.
MWC
Vince Browne Northwestern
 DE
 Sr.
Big 10
Vontaze Burfict Arizona State
 LB
 Jr.
Pac-12
Tank Carder TCU
 LB
 Sr.
MWC
Morris Claiborne LSU
 CB
 Jr.
SEC
Quinton Coples North Carolina
 DT
 Sr.
ACC
Jared Crick Nebraska
 DT
 Sr.
Big 10
Vinny Curry Marshall
 DE
 Sr.
CUSA
Lavonte David Nebraska
 LB
 Sr.
Big 10
Alfonzo Dennard Nebraska
 CB
 Sr.
Big 10
Tony Dye UCLA
 S
 Sr.
Pac-12
Donnie Fletcher Boston College
 CB
 Sr.
ACC
Jerry Franklin Arkansas
 LB
 Sr.
SEC
Stephon Gilmore South Carolina
 CB
 Jr.
SEC
Zaviar Gooden Missouri
 LB
 Jr.
Big 12
Casey Hayward Vanderbilt
 CB
 Sr.
SEC
Dont'a Hightower Alabama
 LB
 Jr.
SEC
Jayron Hosley Virginia Tech
 CB
 Jr.
ACC
Jaye Howard Florida
DT
Jr.
SEC
Delano Howell Stanford
 S
 Sr.
Pac-12
Bruce Irvin West Virginia
 DE
 Jr.
Big East
Brandon Jenkins Florida State
 DE
 Jr.
ACC
Coryell Judie Texas A&M
 CB
 Sr.
Big 12
Mychal Kendricks Cal
 LB
 Sr.
Pac-12
Dre Kirkpatrick Alabama
 CB
 Jr.
SEC
Jake Knott Iowa State
 LB
 Jr.
Big 12
Luke Kuechly Boston College
 LB
 Jr.
ACC
Robert Lester Alabama
 S
 Jr.
SEC
Travis Lewis Oklahoma
 LB
 Sr.
Big 12
Brandon Lindsey Pitt
 DE
 Sr.
Big East
Mike Martin Michigan
 DT
 Sr.
Big 10
Chris Marve Vanderbilt
 LB
 Sr.
SEC
Jonathan Massaqoui Troy
 DE
 Jr.
Sun Belt
Tyrann Mathieu LSU
 CB
 Soph.
SEC
T.J. McDonald USC
 S
 Jr.
Pac-12
Chase Minnifield Virginia
 CB
 Sr.
ACC
Roosevelt Nix Kent State
 DT
 Soph.
MAC
Donte Paige-Moss North Carolina
 DE
 Jr.
ACC
Shaun Prater Iowa
 CB
 Sr.
Big 10
Kheeston Randall Texas
 DT
 Sr.
Big 12
Kevin Reddick North Carolina
 LB
 Jr.
ACC
Greg Reid Florida State
 CB
 Jr.
ACC
Kendall Reyes Connecticut
 DT
 Sr.
Big East
Xavier Rhodes Florida State
 CB
 Soph.
ACC
Keenan Robinson Texas
 LB
 Sr.
Big 12
Shayne Skov Stanford
 LB
 Jr.
Pac-12
Sean Spence Miami
 LB
 Sr.
ACC
Alameda Ta'amu Washington
DT
 Sr.
Pac-12
Keith Tandy West Virginia
 CB
 Sr.
Big East
Kenny Tate Maryland
 S
 Sr.
ACC
Bruce Taylor Virginia Tech
 LB
 Jr.
ACC
Devin Taylor South Carolina
 DE
 Jr.
Pac-12
Manti Te'o Notre Dame
 LB
 Jr.
Indep
Danny Trevathan Kentucky
 LB
 Sr.
SEC
Courtney Upshaw Alabama
 LB
 Sr.
SEC
Prentiss Waggner Tennessee
 S
 Jr.
SEC
Korey Williams Southern Miss
 LB
 Sr.
CUSA
Billy Winn Boise State
 DT
 Sr.
MWC
Jerel Worthy Michigan State
 DT
 Jr.
Big 10


10 conferences plus the Independents were represented on the list with the SEC leading the way with 17 selections. The ACC was second with 15 selections while the Pac-12 was third with 8. Alabama clearly has the best defense in the country and the Bednarik watch list further proves this point as the Crimson Tide have 5 players listed! Florida St is second with 4 while Nebraska, North Carolina and LSU have 3 each.
 
Semifinalists for the Bednarik will be announced October 31st and the three finalists will be unveiled November 21st. The winners of the 2011 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show held on December 8th. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah's Entertainment Atlantic City on March 2nd 2012.

The watch list candidates have been chosen by the Maxwell Football Club's selection committee, evaluating past performance and future potential. The Club reserves the right to make additions and deletions to these lists as the 2011 season unfolds. All members of the Maxwell Football Club, NCAA sports information directors, head coaches, and selected national media are eligible to vote for the awards.

Only 56 DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME!!