Chuck Bednarik Award Names Payton Wilson 2023 Finalist

11/28/2023 12:00:00 PM | Football

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - NC State linebacker Payton Wilson has been named a finalist for the 2023 Chuck Bednarik Award, given annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the outstanding defensive player of the year in college football.

Wilson leads the ACC in tackles and tackles for loss, ranking fifth in the FBS with 11.5 tackles per game and sixth with 1.5 TFLs per game. He is also a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award and the Nagurski Trophy.

The graduate student joins Alabama LB Dallas Turner and UCLA defensive lineman Laiatu Latu as a finalist for the prestigious award, and is the first Bednarik finalist for the Wolfpack since Bradley Chubb in 2017.

The winner of the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN College Football Awards which will be broadcast live on ESPN on December 8, 2023.