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5 potential winners for the Chuck Bednarik Award, CFB’s Defensive Player of the Year

By Jerran Anderson

GAINESVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 28: Kelvin Taylor #21 of the Florida Gators attempts to run past Derwin James #3 of the Florida State Seminoles during the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 28, 2015 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 28: Kelvin Taylor #21 of the Florida Gators attempts to run past Derwin James #3 of the Florida State Seminoles during the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 28, 2015 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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DURHAM, NC – NOVEMBER 05: (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC – NOVEMBER 05: (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

4.  LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is probably a wild card to win next season’s Bednarik Award, but he’s still worth mentioning.

Edmunds is a 6-foot-5, 245-pound linebacker with a knack for stopping the ball. He racked up 94 tackles (49 solo, 45 assisted), 16.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and an interception in 2016.

The Hokies saw tons of success under first-year head coach Justin Fuente, earning their first 10-win season since 2011. They won the ACC Coastal Division and made it to the ACC Championship, losing by one possession to eventual National Champs, the Clemson Tigers.

Virginia Tech returns only five starters on offense but with junior college transfer A.J. Bush, redshirt freshman Josh Jackson, and true freshman Hendon Hooker, finding a new quarterback shouldn’t be too difficult. The offense should be more comfortable in 2017.

Defensively, the Hokies return seven starters with Edmunds leading the way. Edmunds has a ton of help returning including his brother, Terrell, who also plays linebacker and was second on the team last season in tackles (101).

It’s hard to foresee a Bud Foster-led defense taking a step back in 2017, especially with the experience they return. Edmunds was a second-team All-ACC selection after making 14 starts as a full-time starter. He should have a much more productive season next season with one of the best defenses in the conference.

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