STILLWATER – Oklahoma State safety Kolby Harvell-Peel has been named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.

Harvell-Peel is one of 90 total players and nine Big 12 players to be included on the watch list for the trophy, which is awarded annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football.

As a sophomore in 2019, Harvell-Peel earned first team All-Big 12 honors from both the coaches and the Associated Press and was honored by the OSU coaches with the Bob Fenimore Award presented to the team’s most valuable player.

The College Station, Texas, native made a significant contribution in a wide variety of areas last year, posting 71 tackles, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles, a sack, three tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. His five interceptions ranked seventh nationally and his two fumble recoveries tied for 27th nationally, which made him one of only two FBS players who ranked in the top 30 nationally in both categories.

Also noteworthy, Harvell-Peel led the Big 12 and ranked fourth in the FBS with 1.5 passes defended per game in 2019. His up six pass break ups as part of Oklahoma State’s win at No. 23 Iowa State set a school record and matched the highest single-game total in the FBS in 2019.

The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995 and is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, a former standout at the University of Pennsylvania and with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced Nov. 3, while the three finalists will be unveiled Nov. 23. The winner of the 2020 Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 10 and the formal presentation will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 12, 2021.