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Georgia's Jordan Davis Wins 2021 Bednarik Award
December 10, 2021
Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis has won the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given annually to college football's best defensive player.
Davis earned the honor at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday.
Alabama sophomore linebacker Will Anderson Jr., Oregon junior defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and Notre Dame junior safety Kyle Hamilton were also named as finalists.
Here's a look at all four finalists' resumes, starting with the winner.
Georgia DT Jordan Davis
The 6'6", 340-pound Davis anchors the No. 1 defense in the country. Georgia has only allowed 9.5 points per game thanks in part to Davis, who has 28 tackles and two sacks.
Georgia Football @GeorgiaFootball๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐ฉ: <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanxdavis99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jordanxdavis99</a><br><br>๐๐ช๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฎ, ๐ฝ๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ช๐ง๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฎ, & ๐พ๐๐ช๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoDawgs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoDawgs</a> <a href="https://t.co/X085DRa3zP">pic.twitter.com/X085DRa3zP</a>
Davis can do a little of everything, including run defense, running the football and running the school band:
Georgia opponents have only rushed for 2.6 yards per game in part because of Davis, who can count himself as one of the bedrocks of one of college football's most dominant teams.
The Bulldogs will be heading to the College Football Playoff as the No. 3 seed after a 12-1 campaign. They were 12-0 before falling 41-24 to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr.
No defensive player has been more productive than Anderson, whose 15.5 sacks lead college football. He's also made 91 tackles (54 solo).
That performance follows up a 2020 season in which Anderson had 52 tackles and seven sacks for the undefeated Crimson Tide.
Take a look at some stats from the year that showcased just how good Anderson has been:
At 6'4" and 243 pounds, Anderson is an unstoppable force in the Alabama defense.
It hasn't always been easy for the Crimson Tide this year, as they suffered a 41-38 loss to Texas A&M and had to escape some close games against Florida and LSU, but having Anderson aboard has put Alabama in position to compete for another national title
Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
Thibodeaux is the No. 1 option on many NFL draft boards, and for good reason: At his best, he's a ferocious, game-wrecking pass-rusher. Take his strip sack against Fresno State in a 34-31 season-opening win for example:
Despite missing time because of injury, Thibodeaux amassed 49 tackles (12 for a loss) and seven sacks in eight games. He left one of those games early with an injury and played limited snaps in a second one upon his return.
At 6'5" and 258 pounds, Thibodeaux is a force to be reckoned with, and he's a key reason Oregon was able to stay in the College Football Playoff picture late into the season.
Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton
Hamilton's season has been limited to seven games because of a knee injury suffered against USC on Oct. 23. He was productive in those matchups with 34 tackles (19 solo) and three interceptions.
Notre Dame Football @NDFootballKyle Hamilton. Bednarik Award Finalist. <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledhamilton_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kyledhamilton_</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoIrish?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoIrish</a> <a href="https://t.co/hNOn8xZrWh">pic.twitter.com/hNOn8xZrWh</a>
NFL draft analysts love Hamilton, who is currently fourth on the NFL Mock Draft Database's consensus big board. So does Brian Kelly, who provided his own scouting report:
Hamilton's versatility helped Notre Dame stay in the College Football Playoff picture for yet another year as the one-loss Fighting Irish looked to earn a top-four spot. They finished just shy at No. 5 but will play in the Fiesta Bowl versus Oklahoma State.