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Oklahoma's Ethan Downs Named to Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List

The Sooners' junior defensive lineman could be in line for a big season behind OU's revamped defense.
Ross Lovelace|
Oklahoma's Ethan Downs Named to Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Oklahoma's Ethan Downs Named to Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List

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Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma's list of players on preseason watch list's grew Monday morning, as defensive lineman Ethan Downs was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Chuck Bednarik Award is advertised as an honor that goes to "the best defensive player in college football."

A season ago, Downs recorded 38 total tackles, 13.5 of those for a loss, along with 4.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. It looked like the Weatherford product was set to be one of Oklahoma's top impact players, totaling 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in the first three games of the season, but the defense as a whole struggled the rest of the way. With a year of experience under Brent Venables and the new staff, though, Downs has the potential to break out in a big way.

As a local star, Downs was a 4-star prospect in 2021, ranked as the No. 12 EDGE and No. 2 player in Oklahoma. He's shown flashes over his first two seasons in Norman, and with an improved pass rush surrounding him, he could take another jump this fall.

The 6-foot-4 junior was also named to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List earlier this offseason, which honors college football’s most impactful community service leaders. Downs has been a leader off the field for the Sooners and looks to be a pivotal part of Oklahoma's defensive line for a second straight season.

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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Ross has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners since 2018. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and the Sooners On SI podcast. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross started with Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and worked for Sooners On SI and Thunder On SI. Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross and his wife live in New Orleans, where he is a Marketing and Volunteer Coordinator at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.

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