Jackson picks up another national preseason honor; on Bednarik Watch List

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia linebacker Nick Jackson was one of 90 defensive players across the country that comprised the Bednarik Award Watch List on Monday. The honor is presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the outstanding defensive player in college football.

Jackson led the ACC in tackles with 117 last season, one year after finishing second in the league with 105 stops. His defensive prowess led to Second Team All-ACC accolades in 2021, the second-straight year he earned an All-ACC distinction. In his junior campaign last year, he compiled six tackles for loss, broke up two passes and was credited with six quarterback hurries. He recorded seven double-digit tackling efforts and his 9.8 tackles per game ranked 14th in the country.

Jackson, also included on the 2022 preseason Butkus Award Watch List, has been one of the ACC’s most consistent defensive players. He has started 23-straight games in the middle of the Cavalier defense, the most of any UVA returning player on either side of the ball. In three seasons, Jackson has appeared in 36 games for the Cavaliers and accumulated 250 tackles, 56 shy of cracking UVA’s all-time top-15. Jackson has the chance to join Charles McDaniel (1982-84), Jon Copper (2006-08) and Micah Kiser (2015-17) as the only Cavaliers to lead the team in tackles for three consecutive seasons.

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.

Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 1, 2022, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled November 22, 2022. The winners of the 28th Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 8, 2022. The formal presentations of the award will be made at the 86th Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala live from Atlantic City, N.J. on March 10, 2023.