Notre Dame Football: Okwara, Kareem make Bednarik Watch List
By J.P. Scott
Two Notre Dame football defensive ends find themselves on one of the most prestigious watch lists for defensive players.
Two Notre Dame football players — Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem — have been named to the Bednarik Award Watch List.
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional American football player. Voters for the Maxwell College Awards are NCAA head college football coaches, members of the Maxwell Football Club, and sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country.
That fact that Okwara and Kareem made the Bednarik Watch list comes as no surprise to anyone who follows Notre Dame football closely. Both players were defensive forces on the 2018 Irish team that earned a berth in the College Football Playoff. Additionally, both players have appeared in various mock drafts as first round selections in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Okwara and Kareem were named to the Maxwell Award Watch List earlier on Monday. That award goes to the best overall player in college football.
Both Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem should be considered serious contenders for the Bednarik Award. Each one is a dominant pass-rusher who can take over a game. If either one of them can have big games against the likes of Georgia or Michigan, that could give them a leg up on he competition.
dark. Next. Three Irish Players make Maxwell Watch List
The departure of Jerry Tillery on the inside of the defensive line will increase the degree of difficulty for the Notre Dame defensive end duo, so they’ll both have their work cut out for them to improve on last season’s numbers. Being the faces of an elite Irish defense, however, should keep both players in the national conversation all season.