Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Two Key Defensive Players Earn Award Watch List Honors

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Grant Chachere | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Two North Carolina football players – linebacker Andrew Simpson and defensive back Will Hardy – were named to prestigious award watch lists ahead of the 2025 college football season.

Simpson was selected to the Dick Butkus Award Preseason Watch List, which honors the nation’s top linebacker, while Hardy earned a spot on the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, given annually to a college football player for exemplary community service and leadership. Their selections showcase both the on-field production and off-field impact of a program that is entering a new era under head coach Bill Belichick.

This marks the second consecutive year Simpson has appeared on the Butkus Award watch list watch list. He comes to Chapel Hill after a standout 2024 campaign at Boise State, where he totaled 46 tackles along with 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. His performance helped propel the Broncos to a berth in the College Football Playoff, where he posted four tackles in a quarterfinal loss to Penn State.

Over his collegiate career, Simpson has compiled 141 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. He is one of 51 players named to the watch list, symbolizing Butkus’ iconic jersey number. The semifinalists for the Butkus Award will be announced Nov. 4, with finalists named Nov. 25 and the winner revealed by Dec. 10. The recipient will be honored in early 2026 at a ceremony held at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium.

Hardy, meanwhile, was named to the 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, the Wuerffel Foundation announced Thursday. The award, considered college football’s top honor for community service, recognizes student-athletes who use their platform to serve others and make a meaningful impact off the field.

The Lawrenceville, Ga. native played in all 13 games last season, earning two starts. He recorded 34 tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception, two pass breakups and a forced fumble in 2024. His lone interception last season was a big one UNC’s win at Florida State. In three seasons with the Tar Heels, Hardy has registered 94 tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups.

Hardy has been a tremendous leader not only on the field but in the classroom and the community as well. He is a three-time All-ACC Academic Team selection and serves as the football program’s representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). His volunteer work includes time with Team Impact and Habitat for Humanity.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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