Three LSU defensive standouts named to Bednarik Watch List

BATON ROUGE – LSU placed a nation’s best three players – cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., linebacker Jabril Cox, and safety JaCoby Stevens – on the Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday.

The Bednarik Award is presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football. LSU has had two Bednarik Award winners as Patrick Peterson (2010) and Tyrann Mathieu (2011) captured the honor in back-to-back years.

Stingley, a consensus All-America in 2019, started all 15 games for the Tigers a year ago and he capped his rookie season by leading the Southeastern Conference in both interceptions (6) and passes defended (21). Stingley tied an SEC Championship Game record with two interceptions in LSU’s 37-10 win over Georgia in the league’s title game.

Stevens, a senior, enters his third season as a starter for LSU in 2020. Stevens earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors three times in 2019 and was a second team All-SEC selection for the national champion Tigers. Stevens is LSU’s leading returning tackler in 2020 as he racked up 92 tackles to go with 9.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks a year ago.

Cox, a graduate transfer linebacker from North Dakota State, enters his first year at LSU after winning back-to-back Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national titles with the Bison in 2018 and 2019.

Cox was a two-time All-America at North Dakota State and he capped his career with the Bison with 258 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 14 sacks. He added six interceptions and scored two defensive TDs in helping North Dakota State to a 45-1 mark during his three years.