Auburn football: Britt named to Bednarik Award watch list

Auburn linebacker K.J. Britt is a candidate for one of the biggest awards in college football

The Bednarik Award is given every year to college football’s best defensive player. The list of former winners include legends such as Charles Woodson, Julius Peppers, Ndamukong Suh, Tyrann Mathieu, Aaron Donald and plenty more.

So, when a player from your team makes the preseason watch list for the award, it’s safe to say they’re expected to be among college football’s best. Well, on Monday, Auburn football senior linebacker K.J. Britt was one of 90 defensive players across the country to be named to the Bednarik Award watch list which is voted on by Maxwell Football.

Britt is the only Auburn player on the list which includes players from 65 different teams across every conference in the FBS.

Last season was Britt’s first-year as a starter for the Tigers and the 6-foot, 236-pound LB excelled throughout the season. Britt was a first-team All-SEC selected and recorded 68 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles while also helping lead Auburn to a top-20 finish in defensive scoring.

Britt, a former four-star recruit out of Oxford, Alabama is expected to lead the Auburn defense alongside fellow linebackers Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain.

Auburn is no stranger to having players on the Bednarik Award watch list. Just last season, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown was featured on the list with former Tigers Javaris Davis, Dontavious Russell, Tray Matthews, Rudy Ford and Carl Lawson being on the list in recent years.

Last year’s award was won edge rusher Chase Young who dominated in his junior season at Ohio State and went on to be the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

As for Britt’s NFL future, the hard-hitting senior has garnered a lot of praise from professional scouts and is even seen as a possible first-round pick by many experts.