PC: KU Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior linebacker Trey Lathan was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Friday. The Bednarik Award is presented annually to the most 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 honor marks Lathan’s second Watch List of the 2026 season after being named to the Butkus Award Preseason Watch List on Aug. 13, awarded to the nation’s top linebacker.
Lathan enters his redshirt senior season as Kansas’ leading tackler from a season ago with 86 tackles, 7.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception and earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors at the conclusion of the season. Lathan has started 30 career games and played in 34 over his career at linebacker, totaling 198 career tackles.
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.
Last year’s Chuck Bednarik Award winner was Jacob Rodriguez. (Texas Tech) who went on to be the 2rd round selection of the Miami Dolphins in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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