CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Maxwell Football Club announced its watch list for the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award on Monday, August 12, which featured 19 defensive players out of the Atlantic Coast Conference — including linebacker Barrett Carter and defensive tackle Peter Woods of Clemson.
Other ACC players named to the preseason watch list for the defensive award were 2023 semifinalist defensive end Ashton Gillotte of Louisville, linebacker Tre Freeman of Duke, defensive tackle Joshua Farmer and defensive end Patrick Payton of Florida State, cornerback Quincy Riley of Louisville, defensive end Reuben Bain, Jr. and linebacker Francisco Mauigoa of Miami, edge rusher Kaimon Rucker and linebacker Power Echols of North Carolina, defensive end Davin Vann of NC State, safety Donovan McMillon of Pitt, defensive end Elijah Roberts of SMU, linebacker Marlowe Wax of Syracuse, safety Jonas Sanker of Virginia, defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles and defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland of Virginia Tech and defensive end Jasheen Davis of Wake Forest.
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. Bednarik 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.
Last year’s Chuck Bednarik Award winner was NC State linebacker Payton Wilson who went on to be the third-round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2024 NFL Draft. Wilson was the first NC State player to win the Bednarik Award.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced on November 12, 2024, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled on November 26, 2024. The winner of the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with 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.
ACC Representatives on the 2024 Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List:
Name, School, Class, Position
Barrett Carter, Clemson, Senior, LB
Peter Woods, Clemson, Sophomore, DT
Tre Freeman, Duke, Redshirt Junior, LB
Joshua Farmer, Florida State, Redshirt Junior, DT
Patrick Payton, Florida State, Redshirt Junior, DE
Ashton Gillotte, Louisville, Senior, DE
Quincy Riley, Louisville, Redshirt Senior, CB
Rueben Bain, Jr., Miami, Sophomore, DE
Francisco Mauigoa, Miami, Senior, LB
Power Echols, North Carolina, Senior, LB
Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina, Graduate Student, Edge
Davin Vann, NC State, Senior, DE
Donovan McMillon, Pitt, Senior, S
Elijah Roberts, SMU, Graduate Student, DE
Marlowe Wax, Syracuse, Senior, LB
Jonas Sanker, Virginia, Senior, S
Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech, Graduate Student, DT
Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech, Redshirt Senior DE
Jasheen Davis, Wake Forest, Senior, DE
ACC Football Notes
The ACC is the Conference of Quarterbacks, with the return of full-time starters Thomas Castellanos at Boston College, Cade Klubnik at Clemson, Grayson Loftis at Duke, Haynes King at Georgia Tech, Preston Stone at SMU, and Kyron Drones at Virginia Tech, and transfers DJ Uiagalelei at Florida State, Tyler Shough at Louisville, Cam Ward at Miami, Grayson McCall at NC State, and Kyle McCord at Syracuse among others.
ACC had 10 quarterbacks named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list, no other conference had more.
ACC had eight quarterbacks named to the Davey O’Brien Award preseason watch list, no other conference had more.
ACC has the top-ranked group of quarterback transfers in 2024 by CBS Sports.
13 QBs in the league enter the 2024 season with over 20 career touchdown passes and 3,500 career passing yards.
Eight quarterbacks from ACC schools are projected to start Week 1 in the 2024 NFL season — 25 percent of NFL teams.
Since 2018, the ACC has had at least one quarterback drafted in the first round in five different drafts — the only conference to do that.
The ACC’s non-conference schedule continues to be the most challenging in the country.
27 games against Power 4 opponents, including Notre Dame, the most of any conference.
Nine non-conference games against teams ranked in the final 2023 Associated Press Top 25 Poll, the most of any conference.
10 non-conference games against teams in ESPN’s 2024 Way-Too-Early Top 25, the most of any conference.
ACC Features Elite Coaching Leadership
Six ACC head coaches were named to the 2024 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl, no other conference had more.
Two of the three active coaches to win a national title reside in the ACC – Dabo Swinney led Clemson to national titles in 2016 and 2018. North Carolina’s Mack Brown won a national title at Texas in 2005.
The 2024 ACC Football Championship Game will kick off in primetime at 8 p.m. ET on ABC on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
About the Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player of the year in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional American football player. Voters for the Maxwell College Awards are NCAA head college football coaches, members of the Maxwell Football Club, and sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country. The Maxwell Club is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the presentations are held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Club members are given voting privileges for the award.
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 Football Dawgs, Montage Mountain Resort, DCH Health System, Bradford White, Limitless NIL, SRA Inc, ETC Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more about our story visit http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org .
About Pro Football Focus
PFF is widely recognized as the industry leader in the advanced data collection and analysis for American football. Since 2011, PFF has led football’s charge into the world of analytics. Their services are trusted by all 32 NFL teams and over 100 FBS programs. Major broadcast networks, national media outlets and player agencies all use PFF as a resource as well. PFF’s media network provides fans with apps, tools, podcasts and other content to help satisfy their thirst for deeper insights in the game.
About the NCFAA
Founded in 1997, the National College Football Awards Association includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
About the ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference, in its 72nd year and 18 members strong, stands as one of the most competitive and revered intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest are dedicated to upholding the league’s founding values of academic excellence, athletic competition at the highest level, and integrity. The ACC supports 28 NCAA sports, with 15 for women and 13 for men, and its member institutions span 12 states. In August 2019, the ACC and ESPN partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network exclusively devoted to ACC sports and original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow the ACC on Instagram (@accsports), Twitter (@theACC) and Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).
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