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Jerome Baker, Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis and Denzel Ward Named to Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List

11W Staff's picture
July 10, 2017 at 10:31am
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Linebacker Jerome Baker

Four Buckeye defenders were named to the 23rd Bednarik Award preseason watch list Monday.

Linebacker Jerome Baker, defensive ends Nick Bosa and Tyquan Lewis, and cornerback Denzel Ward join 82 other players named to the preseason list.

Baker finished second on the team in tackles last season (79) and played his best when it mattered most, recording a 68-yard pick six against Oklahoma, 13 tackles in an overtime win against No. 8 Wisconsin and an interception and a career-high 15 tackles against No. 3 Michigan.

Bosa finished his true freshman campaign with 5.0 quarterback sacks and 7.0 tackles-for-loss. He was one of four Buckeyes to earn freshman All-American status last year.

Lewis has led the Buckeyes in sacks each of the last two seasons and is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Ward did not start a game in 2016, but saw 468 snaps as part of a three-man cornerback rotation with Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley, both first-round selections in April's NFL Draft.


Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced on October 30, 2017, while the three finalists will be unveiled November 20, 2017. The award winner will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 7, 2017.

Previous winners of the Bednarik Award:

Year Player School
1995 Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern
1996 Pat Fitzgerald Northwestern
1997 Charles Woodson Michigan
1998 Dat Nguyen Texas A&M
1999 LaVar Arrington Penn State
2000 Dan Morgan Miami
2001 Julius Peppers North Carolina
2002 E. J. Henderson Maryland
2003 Teddy Lehman Oklahoma
2004 David Pollack Georgia
2005 Paul Posluszny Penn State
2006 Paul Posluszny Penn State
2007 Dan Connor Penn State
2008 Rey Maualuga USC
2009 Ndamukong Suh Nebraska
2010 Patrick Peterson LSU
2011 Tyrann Mathieu LSU
2012 Manti Te'o Notre Dame
2013 Aaron Donald Pittsburgh
2014 Scooby Wright III Arizona
2015 Tyler Matakevich Temple
2016 Jonathan Allen Alabama

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