Shaun Wade Named to Bednarik Award Watch List

The Ohio State corner back is considered one of the best in the country

Ohio State corner back Shaun Wade has been named to the 2020 Bednarik Award Watch List. The award recognizes the nation's best defensive player, which last year was won by Wade's teammate Chase Young. Young was the first Ohio State Buckeye to ever win the award.

Wade is the top returning defensive back for the Buckeyes this year after Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette were selected in the NFL Draft back in April. Wade played the slot corner each of the last two seasons, but is expected to move to the outside in 2020. Wade was named a Walter Camp Football Foundation Second Team Preseason All-American earlier this summer. He is a redshirt junior from Jacksonville, Florida who has played 27 games the last two years. He was a third team All-Big Ten selection in 2019.

The 2020 Chuck Bednarik Award watch list has dropped! pic.twitter.com/IVCJrjhRhi

— Maxwell Football (@MaxwellFootball) July 13, 2020

The Bednarik Award is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, the former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker who is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He won two NFL Championships, was selected to eight Pro Bowls, was a 2-time consensus All-American and is a member of the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. 

The National College Football Awards Association will roll out watch lists over the next two weeks for all of the major national awards. They include:

July 14 - Davey O'Brien Award

July 15 - Doak Walker Award

July 16 - Biletnikoff Award

July 17 - John Mackey Award

July 20 - Butkus Award and Paycom Jim Thorpe Award

July 21 - Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy

July 22 - Lou Groza Award and Ray Guy Award

July 23 - Paul Hornung Award and Wuerffel Trophy

July 24 - Maxwell Award

Stay tuned to BuckeyesNow and all of our social media outlets (@BuckeyesNowSI) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for continued coverage!