Jeremiah Cooper of Penn State Named to Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List

Jeremiah Cooper, a defensive back for the Penn State Nittany Lions, has been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, as announced by the National College Football Awards Association.

The Chuck Bednarik Award honors the top defensive player in college football and is now in its 32nd season. Cooper, who transferred from Iowa State, has accumulated impressive statistics throughout his college career, including 134 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and eight interceptions.

Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2025 that limited him to just four games, Cooper still managed to record nine tackles and one interception during that time. His previous accolades include being named to the All-Big 12 first team in 2023 and earning the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year title in 2022.