LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV senior linebacker Jackson Woodard on Monday became the first Rebel ever to be named to the official preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football.
Already announced as a member of the 2024 watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Woodard was a 2023 First Team All-MW selection, ranked third in the conference with 117 total tackles last fall and became the program’s first-ever First Team CSC Academic All-America honoree as well. Last month he became the second Rebel to earn Preseason Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining UNLV Hall of Famer and NFL veteran cornerback Kevin Thomas in 2000.
The Bednarik Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club in Philadelphia, 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 an All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Semifinalists will be announced November 12 while the three finalists will be unveiled two weeks later. 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. The formal presentation will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards held March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Under the direction of 2023 Mountain West Coach of the Year Barry Odom, Woodard and the Rebels will kick off their 57th season of football on August 31 by heading to Big 12 Conference member Houston at 4 p.m. PT on FS1 in the first of a school-record 11 national TV games. The home opener comes one week later when Utah Tech comes to Allegiant Stadium for a noon kickoff on September 7.
Season tickets, three-game mini-plans and single-game tickets for the six-game 2024 home schedule are available now by visiting unlvtickets.com or calling (702) 739-FANS (3267). For information on VIP premium club seats or suites at Allegiant Stadium, contact the Premium Sales office at [email protected] or by calling (702) 895-0292.
2024 CHUCK BEDNARIK WATCH LIST
CJ Nunnally, IV Akron Senior DE
Deontae Lawson Alabama Junior LB
Malachi Moore Alabama Senior S
Tacario Davis Arizona Junior CB
Landon Jackson Arkansas Senior DE
Eugene Asante Auburn Senior LB
Ahmed Hassanein Boise State Senior DE
Jordan Oladokun Bowling Green Senior CB
Tyler Batty BYU Senior DE
Dontay Corleone Cincinnati Junior DT
Peter Woods Clemson Soph DT
Barrett Carter Clemson Senior LB
B.J. Green Colorado Senior ED
Travis Hunter Colorado Junior CB
Tre Freeman Duke Junior LB
Shavon Revel East Carolina Senior CB
Shemar James Florida Junior LB
Patrick Payton Florida State Junior DE
Joshua Farmer Florida State Junior DT
Mykel Williams Georgia Junior DE
Smael Mondon Georgia Senior LB
Malaki Starks Georgia Junior S
Sebastian Castro Iowa Senior DB
Jay Higgins Iowa Senior LB
Nick Jackson Iowa Senior LB
Jeremiah Cooper Iowa State Junior S
Cobee Bryant Kansas Senior CB
Austin Moore Kansas State Senior LB
Maxwell Hairston Kentucky Junior CB
Deone Walker Kentucky Junior DT
Quincy Riley Louisville Senior CB
Ashton Gillotte Louisville Senior DE
Harold Perkins LSU Junior LB
Chandler Martin Memphis Junior LB
Rueben Bain, Jr. Miami Soph DE
Francisco Mauigoa Miami Senior LB
Matt Salopek Miami (OH) Senior LB
Will Johnson Michigan Junior CB
Mason Graham Michigan Junior DT
Kenneth Grant Michigan Junior DT
Cody Lindenberg Minnesota Senior LB
Johnny Walker Jr. Missouri Senior ED
Colin Ramos Navy Senior LB
Davin Vann NC State Senior DE
Nash Hutmacher Nebraska Senior DT
Kaimon Rucker North Carolina Senior ED
Power Echols North Carolina Senior LB
Xander Mueller Northwestern Senior LB
Benjamin Morrison Notre Dame Junior CB
Howard Cross III Notre Dame Senior DT
Xavier Watts Notre Dame Senior S
Denzel Burke Ohio State Senior CB
Jack Sawyer Ohio State Senior DE
Caleb Downs Ohio State Soph S
Danny Stutsman Oklahoma Senior LB
Billy Bowman Jr. Oklahoma Senior S
Nick Martin Oklahoma St Junior LB
Collin Oliver Oklahoma St Senior LB
Jason Henderson Old Dominion Senior LB
Princely Umanmielen Ole Miss Senior ED
Jabbar Muhammad Oregon Junior CB
Abdul Carter Penn State Junior DE
Kevin Winston Jr. Penn State Junior S
Donovan McMillon Pitt Senior S
Dillon Thieneman Purdue Soph S
Elijah Roberts SMU Senior DE
Jaden Voisin South Alabama Senior S
Tonka Hemingway South Carolina Senior DT
Marlowe Wax Syracuse Senior LB
Namdi Obiazor TCU Senior LB
James Pearce Jr. Tennessee Junior ED
Jahdae Barron Texas Senior DB
Nic Scourton Texas A&M Junior DE
Shemar Turner Texas A&M Senior DT
Ben Bell Texas State Senior DE
Maxen Hook Toledo Senior S
Patrick Jenkins Tulane Senior DT
Lee Hunter UCF Junior DT
Jackson Woodard UNLV Senior LB
Bear Alexander USC Junior DT
Junior Tafuna Utah Senior DT
Ike Larsen Utah State Junior S
CJ Taylor Vanderbilt Senior LB
Jonas Sanker Virginia Senior S
Antwaun Powell-Ryland Virginia Tech Senior DE
Aeneas Peebles Virginia Tech Senior DT
Jasheen Davis Wake Forest Senior DE
Ricardo Hallman Wisconsin Junior CB
Hunter Wohler Wisconsin Senior S
Jordan Bertagnole Wyoming Senior DT
