UCLA’s Sammy Omosigho, Florida’s Jayden Woods Added to Bednarik Award Watch List

By Habari Entertainment

The Maxwell Football Club has added UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho and Florida edge rusher Jayden Woods to the 2026 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, recognizing their strong starts for two unbeaten programs.

The award is presented annually to college football’s defensive player of the year. Both players have helped their teams reach 4-0, producing sacks, forced fumbles, and tackles for loss through the opening four games.

Sammy Omosigho Leads UCLA’s Defensive Charge

Omosigho, a senior linebacker who transferred from Oklahoma, has quickly established himself as a defensive leader and team captain for the Bruins.

Through four games, he has recorded 37 tackles, including 25 solo stops, three sacks, and four forced fumbles. He forced a fumble in each of UCLA’s first three games—an accomplishment the announcement describes as believed to be a first for a Bruin.

His performance against Purdue included 12 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles, earning him UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week recognition.

Omosigho also delivered 14 tackles and a sack in UCLA’s season-opening victory at Cal. He added seven tackles during the Bruins’ 54-3 win at Maryland.

Those performances have put him on the national award radar as UCLA continues its unbeaten start.

Jayden Woods Builds on Freshman All-SEC Season

Woods, a sophomore playing Florida’s edge/JACK position, has followed his 2025 Freshman All-SEC selection with an increasingly productive role in the Gators’ defense.

He has four sacks through four games, already exceeding his total from last season.

Woods earned Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week honors for Week 3 after recording career highs of 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in Florida’s 44-39 victory at Auburn.

Against Ole Miss on September 26, he contributed two tackles for loss and a sack that forced a fumble as Florida won 52-28.

His ability to pressure quarterbacks and disrupt plays behind the line of scrimmage has helped the Gators remain unbeaten.

Bednarik Award Selection Schedule

The Maxwell Football Club updates the watch list periodically throughout the season. Inclusion places players under consideration for the award; it does not establish semifinalist or finalist status.

The club has again partnered with Phil Steele Publications as a selection committee partner.

Key dates for the 2026 award are:

The formal presentation will take place at the Maxwell Football Club Awards at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.

With much of the season remaining, Omosigho and Woods will have further opportunities to strengthen their cases for recognition as college football’s top defensive player.

Source: Maxwell Football Club announcement.

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