NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State senior linebacker Zeke Vandenburgh is putting together the best season of his career, and his statistics have earned him a spot on the 2022 Buck Buchanan Award watch list, which was updated Thursday by Stats Perform. The Buck Buchanan Award is presented annually to the national defensive player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.
Through six games, Vandenburgh leads Redbirds in tackles (57), sacks (7.5) and tackles-for-loss (12). The Freeport, Illinois, native currently ranks No. 2 in the FCS in sacks per game (1.25) and tackles-for-loss per game (2.