North Carolina UNC Tar Heels football Kaimon Rucker Power Echols linebacker defensive end Bednarik Award

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Published Aug 12, 2024

Rucker and Echols Named To 2024 Bednarik Award Watch List

UNC Athletics & Communications

Tar Heel Illustrated

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – North Carolina defensive stalwarts Kaimon Rucker and Power Echols have each landed on the 2024 Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday. The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994.

Last season, Rucker started all 13 games for the Tar Heels while posting 61 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 15 TFL, 12 QB pressures, one forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a PBU. He led the team in TFL, sacks and QB pressures. His 41 total pressures according to PFF ranked seventh nationally.

At the conclusion of the 2023 season, Rucker was named second-team All-ACC and second-team AP All-ACC.

Echols, a Charlotte, N.C. native, started all 13 games for Carolina a season ago. He tallied 102 tackles, 5.5 TFL, four QB pressures, two forced fumbles, one interception and a PBU. Echols finished seventh in the ACC in tackles (102) and was one of only seven players to record 100 or more tackles in the ACC. Following the 2023 season, Echols was named third-team All-ACC.

Rucker now represents the Tar Heels on the Bednarik, Nagurski, and Allstate Wuerffel watch lists while this marks the first preseason honor for Echols.

Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 12, 2024, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 26, 2024. The winners of the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024. The formal presentations of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.