PHILADELPHIA - Fresno State senior cornerback Al'zillion Hamilton has been added to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award. The Maxwell Football Club announced its preseason watch list on Monday with a list of 90 athletes up for the award that goes to the most outstanding defensive player in college football.
Hamilton is one of five representatives from the Mountain West, adding to his lengthy list of preseason honors for 2025.
One of the top pass defenders in 2024, Hamilton returns to the Bulldog defense as the most experienced player on the roster with 42 career games.
Last season, Hamilton finished the year with 52 total tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, 13 pass breakups and one quarterback hurry. He ranked 10th in the FBS in passes defended, averaging 1.2 per game, and had the fourth most passes defended in the FBS in 2024 (15). In just conference games, Hamilton had nine total passes defended with seven pass breakups and two interceptions to lead the conference in that category.
A versatile defensive back, Hamilton also spent some time at the nickel position last year.
Hamilton's preseason honors include Preseason All-Mountain West, preseason watch list for Jim Thorpe Award, Shrine Bowl 1000, Athlon Sports First Team Preseason All-Mountain West, and Phil Steele Second Team Preseason All-Mountain West.
The Bednarik Award has been given to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. It is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, an NFL Hall of Fame linebacker and center who played his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Known as one of the last "60-minute men" for playing both offense and defense, Bednarik exemplified toughness, excellence, and leadership on the field—values that the award bearing his name seeks to recognize in today's top defensive players.
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts being members of our selection committee. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.
Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced November 11, 2025, while the three finalists for the Bednarik Award will be unveiled November 25, 2025. The winner of the 31 st Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 11, 2025. The formal presentations of the Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 13, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.