The long wait is nearly over as football fans are less than two months away from the start of the 2014 college football season. With the season approaching, the presenters of various college football awards have started releasing their "watch lists" for the season.
The organizers of the Bednarik (top defensive player) award released a list of 76 players. Among the players on the Bednarik list: Clemson end Vic Beasley, Michigan State end Shilique Calhoun, Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Nebraska end Randy Gregory and USC end Leonard Williams. Pitt tackle Aaron Donald, a first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams, was the 2013 Bednarik winner.
Chuck Bednarik Award watch list
DE Henry Anderson, Stanford
LB Stephone Anthony, Clemson
DE Vic Beasley, Clemson
DT Michael Bennett, Ohio State
DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State
LB Kelby Brown, Duke
DT Malcom Brown, Texas
DE Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State
CB Alex Carter, Stanford
S Sam Carter, TCU
S Jeremy Cash, Duke
DE Frank Clark, Michigan
S Landon Collins, Alabama
DT Christian Covington, Rice
S Su'a Cravens, USC
DT Carl Davis, Iowa
LB Trey DePriest, Alabama
CB Quandre Diggs, Texas
CB Lorenzo Doss, Tulane
S Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State
DE Alvin Dupree, Kentucky
DE Mario Edwards, Florida State
CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon
LB Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
DE Devonte Fields, TCU
DE Trey Flowers, Arkansas
LB Leonard Floyd, Georgia
DE Dante Fowler, Florida
CB Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech
DE Markus Golden, Missouri
DE Randy Gregory, Nebraska
LB Bryce Hager, Baylor
CB Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida
DE Eli Harold, Virginia
S Anthony Harris, Virginia
LB Ben Heeney, Kansas
DT Chucky Hunter, TCU
DE Martin Ifedi, Memphis
LB Myles Jack, UCLA
DT Grady Jarrett, Clemson
LB Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
LB A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
S Karl Joseph, West Virginia
LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA
LB Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington
CB Jordan Lucas, Penn State
DT Luther Maddy, Virginia Tech
LB Tyler Matakevich, Temple
LB Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville
LB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
DE Ryan Mueller, Kansas State
DE Shawn Oakman, Baylor
DE Norkeithus Otis, North Carolina
LB Denzel Perryman, Miami (Fla.)
LB Terrance Plummer, Central Florida
S Cody Prewitt, Ole Miss
LB Hayes Pullard, USC
DE Cedric Reed, Texas
S Jordan Richards, Stanford
DE A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama
DT James Rouse, Marshall
CB KeiVarae Russell, Notre Dame
LB Jake Ryan, Michigan
LB Frank Shannon, Oklahoma
DT Danny Shelton, Washington
S Derron Smith, Fresno State
LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
LB Eric Striker, Oklahoma
DE Charles Tapper, Oklahoma
LB A.J. Tarpley, Stanford
S Robenson Therezie, Auburn
LB Shaq Thompson, Washington
CB Trae Waynes, Michigan State
DE Leonard Williams, USC
CB P.J. Williams, Florida State
LB Ramik Wilson, Georgia
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