Maxwell Football Club Names Four Tigers to Maxwell, Bednarik Watch Lists

Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei(5) passes a ball during the second quarter of the game with The Citadel Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.

The Maxwell Football Club announced today that Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei and wide receiver Justyn Ross have been named to the Maxwell Award watch list, while defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and safety Nolan Turner have been named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award. Full watch lists and additional information from the Maxwell Football Club are attached and included below.

The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch lists for the 85th Maxwell Award presented annually to the outstanding player in college football, and for the 27th annual Chuck Bednarik Award presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football. Both awards are proudly sponsored by Mammoth Tech and The Athletes’ Corner, which are Executive Partners of the Maxwell Football Club.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sports writer and football official.

The Maxwell Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, and will feature fresh faces, as 2020 winner DeVonta Smith (Alabama) and finalists Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) and Mac Jones (Alabama) have all moved on to the NFL.

The list features six returning semifinalists from 2020 including Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati), Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina), Breece Hall (Iowa State), D’Eriq King (Miami), Sam Howell (North Carolina), and Dillon Gabriel (UCF). The full list consists of 80 players, with 14 schools having two players represented.

Smith joins A.J. McCarron, Derrick Henry and Tua Tagovailoa as the fourth Crimson Tide player to be selected as the Maxwell Award winner. He was chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

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.

Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee(11) and defensive end Myles Murphy(98) during the first quarter of the game Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.

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.

The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF), XOS ThunderCloud 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 ThunderCloud provides the Maxwell Club selection committee with access to game footage from all FBS colleges.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 1, 2021, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 22, 2021. The winners of the 2021 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 9, 2021. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 11, 2022.

2021 MAXWELL AWARD WATCH LIST

RB Brian Robinson, Alabama

WR John Metchie, Alabama

RB Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State

QB Jayden Daniels, Arizona State

WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas

QB Layne Hatcher, Arkansas State

QB Bo Nix, Auburn

RB Tank Bigsby, Auburn

WR Khalil Shakir, Boise State

QB Phil Jurkovec, Boston College

WR Zay Flowers, Boston College

RB Kevin Marks, Buffalo

RB Tyler Allgeier, BYU

QB Chris Reynolds, Charlotte

QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

QB D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson

WR Justyn Ross, Clemson

QB Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina

RB Mataeo Durant, Duke

QB Preston Hutchinson, Eastern Michigan

QB McKenzie Milton, Florida State

RB Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State

QB JT Daniels, Georgia

QB Michael Penix, Indiana

WR Ty Fryfogle, Indiana

RB Tyler Goodson, Iowa

QB Brock Purdy, Iowa State

RB Breece Hall, Iowa State

QB Skylar Thompson, Kansas State

RB Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State

QB Dustin Crum, Kent State

RB Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky

QB Malik Willis, Liberty

QB Levi Lewis, Louisiana

QB Malik Cunningham, Louisville

WR Kayshon Boutte, LSU

QB Grant Wells, Marshall

QB Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

WR Calvin Austin, Memphis

QB D’Eriq King, Miami

QB Tanner Morgan, Minnesota

RB Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota

RB Zonovan Knight, NC State

QB Adrian Martinez, Nebraska

QB Carson Strong, Nevada

WR Romeo Doubs, Nevada

QB Sam Howell, North Carolina

RB Kyren Williams, Notre Dame

WR Chris Olave, Ohio State

WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

QB Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma

WR Marvin Mims, Oklahoma

QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss

RB Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss

WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State

QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

WR David Bell, Purdue

RB Greg Bell, San Diego State

QB Nick Starkel, San Jose State

RB Ulysses Bentley, SMU

WR Reggie Roberson, SMU

WR Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama

RB Kevin Harris, South Carolina

RB Frank Gore, Southern Miss

RB Austin Jones, Stanford

QB Max Duggan, TCU

RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

RB Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M

WR Erik Ezukanma, Texas Tech

QB Dillon Gabriel, UCF

QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA

QB Kedon Slovis, USC

QB Charlie Brewer, Utah

RB Sincere McCormick, UTSA

QB Brennan Armstrong, Virginia

WR Jaquarii Roberson, Wake Forest

QB Jarret Doege, West Virginia

RB Leddie Brown, West Virginia

QB Kaleb Eleby, Western Michigan

RB Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming

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

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