TicketsCINCINNATI – Cincinnati fifth year inside linebacker Jonathan Thompson has been named to the Bednarik Award preseason watch list, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Friday.
One of the most prestigious awards in the sport, the Bednarik Award is presented annually to the college defensive player of the year. The award is named after Chuck Bednarik, a three-time All-American at the University of Pennsylvania who is a member of the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
This is the second major award watch list Thomspon has been named to this preseason. He also earned a spot on the Butkus Award watch list, annually presented to the best linebacker in college football.
Thompson has been a part of the Bearcats football program since 2022, playing in 36 career games while logging 154 total tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss during his tenure in Clifton.
His most productive season came in 2025. The Columbus, Ohio native played in all 13 games, earning nine starts. He finished second on the team with 74 tackles while leading the squad with 8.5 tackles for loss. He also recorded two fumble recoveries and forced one. Thompson came out of the gate firing with a career-high nine tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a sack, and a forced fumble against Nebraska. Additionally, he recorded eight stops against both UCF and Navy, recovering a fumble against the Midshipmen.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced November 10, 2026, while the three finalists for the will be unveiled November 24, 2026. The winner of the 32nd Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 10, 2026. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Saturday March 13, 2027, at the Coca Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
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ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, NFL Foundation, College Sports Communicators, SRA Inc, Vertical Raise, Quinco Inc, the ETC Foundation and the Bradley Law Firm. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.