[BAYLOR FOOTBALL] Keaton Thomas Lands on Bednarik Award Watch List

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Aug. 11, 2025

Baylor Football’s Keaton Thomas Lands on Bednarik Award Watch List
Award is presented annually to the most outstanding defensive player in college football
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu> or Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651, Brent_Ingram at Baylor.edu<mailto:Brent_Ingram at Baylor.edu> or Matt Roberts; 254-227-2280, WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu<mailto:WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu>

PHILADELPHIA – Baylor football linebacker Keaton Thomas has been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award preseason watch list, as announced Monday by the Maxwell Football Club.

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. 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.

Thomas is one of 90 players selected to this year’s preseason watch list, including 12 representing the Big 12.

A product of Jacksonville, Fla., Thomas earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in his debut season with BU last year, starting all 13 games at inside linebacker and racking up 114 tackles, including seven for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He added three quarterback hurries and returned an interception for a touchdown. Thomas logged four games with double-digit tackles and teamed with Matt Jones to become the first Baylor linebacker duo since 2012 to each eclipse 100 tackles in a season. Thomas’ 114 stops ranked 25th in the country in 2024.

One of the most decorated BU players of the 2025 preseason, this watch list nod marks Thomas’ third of the summer, having already been named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Butkus Award watch lists. Additionally, multiple publications have dubbed Thomas a preseason All-American, as well as an All-Big 12 selection and All-Texas standout.

Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced on November 11, while the three finalists will be unveiled two weeks later on November 25. The winner of the 31st Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 11.

The formal presentation of the Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 13, 2026, in Atlanta, Ga.

To stay up to date on all things Baylor football, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.

BAYLOR FOOTBALL 2025 PRESEASON HONORS
Omar Aigbedion, OG
Outland Trophy Watch List
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason Second-Team All-Texas (DCTF)

Travion Barnes, LB
DCTF Texas 50 (No. 46)
Preseason Second-Team All-Texas (DCTF)
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon)

Josh Cameron, WR/PR
Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Hornung Award Watch List
Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List (No. 49)
DCTF Texas 50 (No. 23)
Preseason First-Team All-America, PR (Athlon)
Preseason All-Big 12, PR/KR (Big 12 Media)
Preseason First-Team All-Texas, WR (DCTF)
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12, WR (Pick Six Previews)
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12, WR (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12, PR (Phil Steele)

Sidney Fugar, OL
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Pick Six Previews)
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)

Caden Jenkins, CB
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon)

Ryan Lengyel, OL
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon)

Jackie Marshall, DL
DCTF Texas 50 (No. 38)
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason Second-Team All-Texas (DCTF)
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)

Coleton Price, OL
Rimington Trophy Watch List
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon)

Sawyer Robertson, QB
Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)
Preseason Second-Team All-Texas (DCTF)
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Pick Six Previews)

Keaton Thomas, LB
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Butkus Award Watch List
Preseason Fourth-Team All-America (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason All-Big 12 (Big 12 Media)
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason First-Team All-Texas (DCTF)

Michael Trigg, TE
John Mackey Award Watch List
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Pick Six Previews))
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)

Devin Turner, S
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Pick Six Previews)

Bryson Washington, RB
Maxwell Award Watch List
Doak Walker Award Watch List
DCTF Texas 50 (No. 11)
Preseason Third-Team All-America (Athlon)
Preseason All-Big 12 (Big 12 Media)
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews, Sports Info Solutions)
Preseason First-Team All-Texas (DCTF)

Palmer Williams, P
Ray Guy Award Watch List
Preseason Second-Team All-America (Phil Steele)
Preseason Third-Team All-America (Athlon)
Preseason All-Big 12 (Big 12 Media)
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Phil Steele, Sports Info Solutions)



-BaylorBears.com-



__________________________________



Max Calderone | Director of Athletics Communications (Baseball, Football)

Department of Athletics | Baylor University

C: 254-265-1639



[signature_4121937235]<http://baylorbears.com/>


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