Clemson Football: Three Tigers named to Chuck Bednarik Award preseason watchlist

The final national award watchlist has been released, and Clemson Football has been included again.

Tyler Davis, Jeremiah Trotter, and Barrett Carter have been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award preseason watchlist.

The Bednarik is awarded annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the best defensive player in the nation, regardless of position. It is named for Chuck Bednarik, a Hall of Famer who played for Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The award was first bestowed in 1995. Last season’s winner was Will Anderson from Alabama. A Clemson player has never won the award. Notable past winners include Chase Young from Ohio State, Julius Peppers from North Carolina, Aaron Donald from Pittsburgh, Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson from LSU, and David Pollack from Georgia.

Eighty-two other candidates were named to the watchlist. Joining Davis, Trotter, and Carter from the Atlantic Coast Conference are Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College, DeWayne Carter from Duke, Jared Verse from Florida State, LaMiles Brooks from Georgia Tech, Leonard Taylor and Kam Kinchens from Miami, Aydan White and Payton Wilson from NC State, Cedric Gray from North Carolina, M.J. Devonshire from Pittsburgh, Marlowe Wax from Syracuse, and Chico Bennett from Virginia.

Tyler Davis, Jeremiah Trotter and Barrett Carter have all been named to multiple watchlists for Clemson Football

Other notable names on the watchlist include Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama, Harold Perkins from LSU, JT Tuimoloau and Tommy Eichenberg from Ohio State, and Josh Newton from TCU.

Davis, Trotter, and Carter were also named to the Bronko Nagurski preseason watchlist. Davis was also named to the Outland watchlist. Carter and Trotter were named to the Butkus watchlist. Trotter was named to the Walter Camp Player of the Year watchlist.

Will Shipley (Maxwell, Doak Walker, Wuerffel, Paul Hornung), Cade Klubnik (Davey O’Brien), Andrew Mukuba (Jim Thorpe), Ruke Orhorhoro (Outland), Will Putnam (Rimington), Jake Briningstool (John Mackey) and Dabo Swinney (Dodd) have also been named to preseason watchlists.