Five Michigan Football Players Named To Maxwell, Bednarik Award Watch Lists
The 2018 Maxwell and Chuck Bednarik Award Watch Lists have been released, and Michigan is well represented on both.
The Maxwell Award, which goes to the best all-around player in the country, is voted on by coaches, members of the Maxwell Football Club, sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country.
Junior quarterback Shea Patterson and senior running back Karan Higdon are Michigan's representatives on the list.
Only three defensive players total made the cut, none of whom were Wolverines.
Patterson, a transfer from Ole Miss, played in seven games last year and completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,259 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He is expected to be named U-M's starting quarterback for this fall.
Higdon carried the ball 164 times for 994 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2017. He should be the lead back again this year, with junior running back Chris Evans backing him up.
The last Michigan player that won the Maxwell Award was Desmond Howard in 1991. Tom Harmon is the program's only other winner, coming in 1940.
12 Big Ten players were included on the watch list, with Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State each having two. Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin each had one.
The full watch list can be found HERE.
The Bednarik Award goes to the best defensive player in the nation. Michigan's nominees are: junior defensive end Rashan Gary, fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich and junior linebacker Devin Bush Jr.
The award is also voted on by coaches, members of the Maxwell Football Club, sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country.
Gary totaled 66 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six sacks last year. He and Winovich should form one of the best defensive end combinations in the country this year. Winovich had 79 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
Bush Jr., who was a finalist for the Butkus Award last season (nation's best linebacker), led Michigan with 102 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
Charles Woodson is the only Wolverine to have won the award, doing so in 1997.
The Big Ten has 13 players included on the watch list. Michigan has three, Northwestern and Wisconsin each have two, and Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue all have one.
U-M is tied with Alabama, Clemson and USC for the most players included (three).
The full watch list can be found HERE.
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