Washington State junior safety Jalen Thompson was named to the 2018 Bednarik Award Watch List, presented annually to the College Defensive Player of the Year, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday. Thompson is one of nine Pac-12 Conference players named to watch list.

Thompson was an All-Pac-12 second-team selection last season after leading the Cougars with 73 tackles and tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with four interceptions. The junior from Downey, Calif. started all 13 games, tied for the conference lead with three fumble recoveries and was also named to the Associated Press All-Pac-12 First Team. As a freshman in 2016, Thompson was named to the True Freshman All-America Team by ESPN.com after making 51 tackles and a team-best seven pass breakups.

The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995. Chuck Bednarik, former standout at Penn and with the Philadelphia Eagles, is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of ’69 and the NFL Hall of Fame’s Class of ’67.