RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Penn State will be relying on an assortment of players who transferred from Iowa State , with safety Jeremiah Cooper being among those with the most importance. He had three exceptional seasons to begin his collegiate career before a torn ACL cut his 2025 campaign short.
He’s healthy now and ready to come back with a vengeance as he looks to make a name for himself nationally at a bigger school. What better way to do that than by winning the Chuck Bednarik Award?
The Chuck Bednarik Award, an honor given to the nation’s best defensive player, just had its watch list announced by Maxwell Football Club . The only member to make the cut was Cooper, who landed among tens of other players in the nation.
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List 📋 Presented annually to College Football’s Defensive Player of the Year @jeremiah1cooper pic.twitter.com/95QhjD2VqQ
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 21, 2026 The highly-coveted safety is the newest Nittany Lion to get added to a watch list in recent weeks, with notable player like quarterback Rocco Becht , linebacker Tony Rojas , and defensive end Max Granville also contending for awards.
All this recognition bodes well for a Penn State team that didn’t have many expectations until recently. It seems like many people are starting to warm up to the roster and the coaching staff, so hopefully the team rewards them for that belief.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State transfer safety named to prestigious award watch list
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