Four Tigers named to watch lists for best in college football, best defender

Uiagalelei is being watched for the nation's most outstanding player.

by TigerNet Staff - Mon Jul 19 10:14:06 GMT-04:00 2021

The Maxwell Football Club announced today that Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei and wide receiver Justyn Ross have been named to the Maxwell Award watch list (most outstanding player in college football), while defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and safety Nolan Turner have been named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award (most outstanding defensive player).

Uiagalelei has garnered a preseason All-America honor already (Athlon) and a slew of high ACC expectations. Ross was named first-team preseason All-America by four outlets so far (Athlon/Phil Steele/PFF/Walter Camp).

Bresee has three first-team All-America preseason selections to this point (Athlon/Phil Steele/Walter Camp) and a pick for ACC defensive player of the year. Turner was named to second-team preseason All-America by Phil Steele after a pair of second-team All-America honors last season.

The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, a former standout at the University of Pennsylvania and with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bednarik is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of ’69 and the NFL Hall of Fame’s Class of ’67.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sports writer and football official.

The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF), XOS ThunderCloud and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, and 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. XOS ThunderCloud provides the Maxwell Club selection committee with access to game footage from all FBS colleges.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 1, 2021, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 22, 2021. The winners of the 2021 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 9, 2021. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 11, 2022.