Ole Miss football senior defensive end Cedric Johnson has been named to the Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club on Monday.
Johnson is one of 85 defensive players nationally and among 11 within the SEC selected to the watch list for the Bednarik Award, which is given annually to college football’s defensive player of the year. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a three-time All-American at Penn.
Johnson, who has already been named to preseason All-SEC teams by Phil Steele (first team), as well as Athlon (third team) and Lindy’s (third team), enters 2023 as Ole Miss’ active career leader in sacks with 13.5. Last season, Johnson played in 11 games for the Rebels, starting in eight at defensive end. He finished the season with 32 total tackles, 4.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. He also blocked a punt against Georgia Tech, becoming the first Rebel since 2012 to block a punt and record a sack in the same game.
The Bednarik Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
