Auburn Football’s Keldric Faulk Named to Bednarik Award Watchlist

Auburn football’s Keldric Faulk has been stacking his award closet over the past few years– he’s been a SEC All-Freshman, All-SEC third team, and now he’s been named to the Bednarik award watchlist for 2025.

The Chuck Bednarik Award, presented to “the most outstanding defensive player in college football,” per auburntigers.com, is named for Chuck Bednarik, an NFL Hall of Famer and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker who was most prominently known for being one of the last “60-minute men,” or players that played both offense and defense, 60 minutes a game.

Faulk, perhaps Auburn’s most exciting defensive player, has also been named First Team All-SEC this year, as well as landing on the Bronko Nagurski award watchlist– another award presented to the top defensive player in the nation.

The junior has posted impressive stats in his first few seasons, including 35 tackles in his freshman year, as well as 45 more last season with seven sacks.

Faulk will find out if his 2025 performance is enough for the committee on Nov. 11, when the semifinalists are announced, before two weeks of maximum effort to make the final three, which is announced on Nov. 25. Finally, he’ll see if he, or someone else, is worthy of being the award’s sole 2025 owner on March 13, 2026, in Atlanta.

Faulk, despite starting since his true freshman year, will have a lot to prove to the committee if he’s looking to land the Bednarik, Bronko, or any other award this season, but Auburn is certainly poised to give him a shot– the transfer portal has given Auburn’s offense a real shot this season, meaning the defense will have more time to rest and more energy to make better plays.

Faulk and the Tigers will open their season in a rare Friday night game in Waco, Texas, where they’ll take on the Baylor Bears at 7 p.m. CDT. The game will be broadcast on Fox and the Auburn Sports Network.

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