Ambry Thomas And Kwity Paye Named To Bednarik Award Watch List

A pair of Wolverines were named to a pre-season watch list for the Bednarik Award, which is presented to the top defensive player in college football each season.

As a sure sign that college football is quickly approaching, the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List was released on Monday, and Michigan saw two players make the initial list-- defensive end Kwity Paye and cornerback Ambry Thomas.

Paye and Thomas both enter the 2020 campaign as seniors, and each player is expected to make a huge contribution to the overall success of U-M's defense this year after the Wolverines had 10 players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft.

With a strong need to replace that overall production, Paye is looked at as perhaps Michigan's top pass rushing athlete on the edge. Last year, Paye accumulated 50 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, six and a half sacks, three quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery throughout his 11 starts. Paye's 12.5 tackles for loss were a team-high. As a result of that effort, Paye was named to the second-team All-Big Ten squad a year ago.

Thomas, on the other hand, played opposite of Lavert Hill for much of last season and is expected to take a step forward and become U-M's chief lockdown defensive back this coming season. However, Thomas had a strong junior showing as well, winning the team's Defensive Skill Player of the Year after logging 38 tackles, seven pass deflections, three interceptions, three tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. But with a larger role awaiting this season, Thomas will need to improve on those numbers to have a fighting chance at taking home the Bednarik Award.

Since the Bednarik is not a senior-specific award, it is puzzling that Aidan Hutchinson was not included in the initial watch list. According to the Wolverine Digest top 25 Michigan players list, Hutchinson came in at No. 3 overall, though I allocated my first place vote to the incoming junior player. Rumbling from inside Schembechler Hall also corroborate the notion that Hutchinson may be the team's top player this fall, and he had a productive 2019 year with 68 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six pass deflections, four and a half sacks and two forced fumbles.

Given the expected development for Hutchinson this fall, it would not be a surprise to see the Michigan legacy player take a sizable step forward and make a case for himself as the top defensive lineman in the entire Big Ten Conference. And while the Big Ten has quite a few strong D-Line groups, such as that of Penn State or Ohio State, Hutchinson ranking among the upper echelon should be enough to warrant a Bednarik Award Watch List selection.

The Bednarik Award, which is given to the nation's top defensive player each year. Michigan has not won the award since Charles Woodson turned in a peerless 1997 season, one which saw the two-way standout also win the Heisman Trophy, so his performance was a shoe-in for the Bednarik Award as well.

What are your thoughts on who was included in the initial Bednarik Award Watch List? Do you think Hutchinson was snubbed? Let us know!