The Big Ten has four teams in the top five of the College Football Playoff rankings and AP Poll. The conference is well-known for its defenses. This year, plenty of top-end defenders are set to be honored with awards. The Maxwell Football Club released the Maxwell Award semifinalists earlier this week along with the Bednarik Award semifinalists.
Five of the 20 Bednarik Award semifinalists come from the Big Ten, only behind the SEC’s nine. Before the season, 19 defenders were on the Bednarik watchlist and four of the five semifinalists from the conference made the cut.
Three finalists for each award will be announced on November 26th and a finalist round of voting will take place at that time. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors, and selected national media. The winner will be announced on ESPN on December 12.
Five Big Ten Defenders Named Bednarik Award Semifinalists
Mikail Kamara, Indiana
After breaking out with James Madison a year ago, Mikail Kamara followed his head coach to Bloomington, Indiana to dominate for the Hoosiers.
Through 10 games, Kamara has logged 39 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and nine-and-a-half sacks. He leads the way in the Big Ten in sacks while checking in at second-best in tackles for loss. Nationally, he is sixth in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss. Needless to say, Kamara has played a massive part in transforming the Hoosier defense from one of the worst in the country to one of the best.
The junior playmaker was the only one of the five Big Ten Bednarik semifinalists to not be mentioned in the initial preseason watchlist.
If he ends up winning, Kamara would be the first Hoosier to take home the Bednarik Award.
Jay Higgins, Iowa
One of the most productive players in all of college football last year, Jay Higgins is back at it again in 2024. Last year, he led the way in solo, assisted, and total tackles.
This year, Higgins has accounted for 98 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, four pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. In five of his 10 games this year, Higgins led the way with double-digit tackles. Over a stretch of three games against Ohio State, Washington, and Michigan State, he logged 14 tackles each.
No Iowa defender has won the award but Higgins is well-positioned to be the first.
Mason Graham, Michigan
One of college football’s most athletic freaks of nature, Mason Graham has been one of the bright spots from an otherwise bleak season for the defending national champions.
To put into perspective how good Graham has been this year, he played in 13 games last year and totaled 36 tackles, seven-and-a-half tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble, and one pass breakup. In 10 games this year, he has 37 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three-and-a-half sacks, and a pass breakup.
Michigan has one winner in the history of the award and that was Charles Woodson back in 1997.
Caleb Downs, Ohio State
The Ohio State defense has been among the elites this year and Caleb Downs has been playing at an All-American level this year.
After leading Alabama in tackles last year, Downs has jumped off the tape on an already-loaded defense. Through nine games for the Buckeyes, Downs is third on the team with 40 tackles, second with six tackles for loss, and has added half of a sack. While his stats don’t jump off the page as they did with Alabama, he has been as sure of a tackler as any in the country.
The talented Alabama transfer is looking to be the second Buckeye to win the Bednarik Award (Chase Young, 2019).
Abdul Carter, Penn State
Finally, future first-round draft pick, Abdul Carter. For three years, Carter has been a force for the Nittany Lions’ defense. Now, LBU is set to send yet another top-end pass rusher to the NFL.
Through nine games, Carter has been one of the best defenders in the Big Ten as a whole. He leads the way with 15.5 tackles for loss and is second in the conference in sacks (eight) and forced fumbles (two).
No program has produced more Bednarik Award winners than Penn State. Carter has the opportunity to be the fourth player and fifth award (LaVarr Arrington, 1999; Paul Posluszny, 2005 and 2006; Dan Connor, 2007).
The Rest of the Field
- Jahdae Barron, Texas
- Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
- Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
- Mike Green, Marshall
- Anthony Hill, Jr., Texas
- Travis Hunter, Colorado
- Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
- Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
- Chris Paul, Jr., Ole Miss
- James Pearce, Jr., Tennessee
- Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech
- Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
- Malaki Starks, Georgia
- Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
- Nohl Williams, California
