Tremaine Edmunds named to Bednarik watchlist

The season of watchlists is upon us, and the first Hokie so honored is linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, by the Bendarik Award.

The Bednarik is given annually to the best defensive player in college football by the Maxwell Football Club. A Hokie has never won the award. However, Edmunds has the potential to change that with a big year. The 6-5, 236-pounder was a second-team All-ACC performer in 2016, and enters his junior year with a chance to build upon a solid two-year beginning to his VT career.

Last year, Edmunds made 106 total tackles, 18.5 of them for loss, with 4.5 sacks. He also intercepted one pass and broke up three more, hurried the quarterback nine times, and caused and recovered one fumble. He was the Hokies' second-leading tackler behind fellow linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka. He is expected to be one of the conference's - even the country's - top linebackers in 2017.

Edmunds is one of 18 ACC defenders to make the watchlist, including fellow linebackers Ben Humphreys (Duke), Micah Kiser (Virginia), Shaq Quarterman (Miami), and Matthew Thomas (Florida State). The last ACC player to win the award was Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald in 2013.

Edmunds was a four-star and the No. 236 overall prospect nationally in the Class of 2015 out of Danville (Va.) Dan River. He made 11 total tackles, 2.5 for loss, during his true freshman season in 2015, and parlayed that into an every-game starting role last Fall. Older brother Terrell Edmunds, a redshirt junior, is a starting safety for the Hokies.