Junior Florida State pass rusher Brian Burns was named to the 2018 Bednarik Award Watch List today, a nod to those being considered for the prize bestowed upon the nation’s top defensive player, regardless of position.
These initial watch lists are always quite vast, and the Bednarik is no exception: 86 players are included, although Burns is the only ’Nole to make the cut. That’s not terribly surprising, since FSU does not return a single player from any of the three All-ACC defensive teams, or even an Honorable Mention, for that matter. Still, players like Levonta Taylor and Demarcus Christmas have garnered some nice off-season press.