Two Cougars named to 2017 watch lists by Maxwell Football Club

PHILADELPHIA — BYU junior quarterback Tanner Mangum and senior linebacker Fred Warner were named to the watch lists for the 81st annual Maxwell Award and 23rd annual Chuck Bednarik Award, respectively, by the Maxwell Football Club on Monday.

The Maxwell Award, named in honor of Robert W. "Tiny" Maxwell, has been given to America's College Player of the Year since 1937. Maxwell's contributions to the game of football were extensive, including time as a player, a sportswriter and an official.

Last year, Mangum led the Cougars to a Poinsettia Bowl victory in his only start after earning Touchdown Club of Columbus National Freshman of the Year honors in 2015. He set BYU freshman records with 3,377 yards passing and 23 touchdowns while also recording five games of 300-plus passing yards.

BYU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ty Detmer won the Maxwell Award at BYU in 1990.

The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of '69 and the NFL Hall of Fame's Class of '67.

Warner has played in 36 career games with 25 starts at outside linebacker for the Cougars over his first three seasons. In 2016, he led BYU in total tackles with 86 and boasts six career interceptions, including a pair of pick-six touchdowns against Boise State. Warner also recovered four fumbles in 2015 and forced two fumbles in 2016.

The watch lists will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)programs and conferences from coast to coast. Returning Maxwell Award winner Lamar Jackson (Louisville) headlines the way for the 2017 watch list class. Alabama and Texas lead the pack with four and three Maxwell Award candidates, respectively, as the season approaches.

The Chuck Bednarik Award watch list features fresh faces, as 2016 finalists Jonathan Allen (Alabama), Myles Garrett (Texas A&M), and Jabril Peppers (Michigan) have all moved on to the NFL. Ohio State checks in with a quartet of Buckeye defenders; Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, Denzel Ward and Jerome Baker. Meanwhile, Florida State and USC are strongly represented by four and three candidates, respectively.

Jackson capped a brilliant season at Louisville by becoming the first player in school history to win the Maxwell Award. Allen, the 2016 Bednarik Award winner, was also the first Alabama player to win the award. Allen was a first-round NFL Draft pick of the Washington Redskins, while Jackson returns for his junior season.

The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 22 awards boast over 722 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced October 30, 2017, while the three finalists for each award will be unveiled November 20, 2017. The winners of the 2017 Maxwell and Bednarik Awards will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 7, 2017. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 9, 2018.

Click to view the entire 2017 Maxwell Award watch list.

Click to view the entire 2017 Chuck BednarikAward watch list.