PHILADELPHIA — The Maxwell Football Club today announced its watch list for the 32nd Chuck Bednarik Award presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multiple year All Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full-time player on both offense and defense.
The Bednarik Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, led by 3 returning 2025 semifinalists: Quincy Rhoades (Arkansas) , Xavier Atkins (Auburn), and Leonard Moore (Notre Dame). Alabama, BYU, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech lead the way with 3 candidates each, and 10 conferences are represented, led by the SEC (24), Big10 (19), Big12 (17), and ACC (12).
Last year’s Chuck Bednarik Award winner was Jacob Rodriguez. (Texas Tech) who went on to be the 2nd round selection of the Miami Dolphins in the 2025 NFL Draft. Rodriguez was the first Texas Tech player to win the Bednarik Award.
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine in the game.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 10, 2026, while the three finalists for the will be unveiled November 24, 2026. The winner of the 32nd Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 10, 2026. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Saturday March 13, 2027, at the Coca Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
Questions concerning the 2026 Bednarik watch list can be directed to MFC Executive Director Mark Wolpert mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org or MFC Vice President of College Awards Rich Cirminiello rcirminiello@maxwellfootballclub.org.
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, NFL Foundation, College Sports Communicators, SRA Inc, Vertical Raise, Quinco Inc, the ETC Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
For more information about the NCFAA and its college football awards, visit the redesigned NCFAA.org or follow on Twitter @NCFAA.
