ACC Places 12 Standouts on 2026 Bednarik Award Watch List
The Atlantic Coast Conference will enter the 2026 college football season with plenty of defensive talent in the national spotlight.
Twelve ACC football players representing 10 member institutions have been named to the 2026 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, announced Friday by the Maxwell Football Club.
The recognition puts a dozen of the conference's top defensive standouts in the early conversation for one of college football's most prestigious defensive honors.
Bednarik Award
Clemson, Miami Lead ACC With Two Candidates
Clemson and Miami lead the conference with two players apiece on the preseason watch list.
Clemson is represented by linebacker Sammy Brown and cornerback Ashton Hampton, while Miami features defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. and defensive end Damon Wilson II.
The remaining ACC selections come from Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
The complete ACC contingent includes:
PlayerSchoolPositionSammy BrownClemsonLBAshton HamptonClemsonCBJa’Bril RawlsFlorida StateCBClev LubinLouisvilleDEAhmad Moten Sr.MiamiDTDamon Wilson IIMiamiDEMelkart Abou JaoudeNorth CarolinaDEBraylan LovelacePittLBMatt RoseStanfordLBKam RobinsonVirginiaLBKemari CopelandVirginia TechDTLangston HardyWake ForestDE
The variety of positions represented reflects the depth of defensive talent throughout the ACC, with linebackers, defensive linemen and defensive backs all represented on the list.
A Prestigious Defensive Honor
The Chuck Bednarik Award has been presented annually since 1994 to the outstanding defensive player in college football.
The award honors Chuck "Concrete Charlie" Bednarik, who starred at the University of Pennsylvania before becoming one of the most accomplished players in football history.
Bednarik was an All-American at Penn and is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For the players on this year's watch list, the recognition provides an early opportunity to establish themselves among the nation's premier defensive players.
But making the preseason list is only the first step.
ACC Defenders Have a Lot to Prove
The 2026 season will ultimately determine which players move from preseason candidates to legitimate contenders.
For the ACC's 12 selections, that means producing consistently against some of the nation's strongest competition throughout the fall.
The conference enters the season with expectations of significant depth across its football membership, creating plenty of opportunities for its defensive standouts to make their cases on a national stage.
The Bednarik Award race will become more defined as conference play begins and individual performances start separating the contenders from the field.
Road to the Bednarik Award
The Maxwell Football Club will announce the Bednarik Award semifinalists on Nov. 10.
Three finalists will then be unveiled on Nov. 24, setting up the final stage of the award race.
The 2026 Bednarik Award winner will be announced as part of ESPN's The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10.
For the ACC, the goal is simple: turn preseason recognition into postseason hardware.
With 12 players representing 10 programs, the conference has established an impressive presence in the early Bednarik Award conversation. Now, those players will have to make their impact on the field.