PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Arkansas defensive lineman Landon Jackson has been named to the 2024 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday.
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 multi-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.
The selection is Jackson’s second to a national award watch list this season as he previously appeared on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List on July 30.
Jackson, who enters the 2024 campaign as a Walter Camp Football Foundation Preseason All-American and Preseason All-SEC selection, proved to be one of the nation’s most dominant pass rushers last season, tallying 44 total tackles, including 13.5 tackles for loss, with 6.5 sacks and one pass breakup during his junior campaign for the Razorbacks.
A native of Texarkana, Texas, Jackson became the first Arkansas defensive lineman since Jake Bequette in 2011 to earn First-Team All-SEC recognition after leading the Razorbacks in tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (6.5). Jackson had a breakout performance at Alabama last season, registering a career-high in tackles (11), tackles for loss (3.5) and sacks (3.5) to claim SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and Bednarik Award Player of the Week honors. Jackson’s 3.5 sacks were the most by an SEC player in a single game last season and tied for the fifth-most in a single game nationally.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced on Nov. 12, while the three finalists for the award will be unveiled on Nov. 26. The winner of the 30th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 12. The formal presentations of the Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards in March 2025.
Arkansas opens the season at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock against UAPB on Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Season tickets are on sale now for as low as $45 per game. To see available seating inventory online, click here, or call the Razorback Ticket Center at 479.575.5151.
