PHILADELPHIA – Senior linebacker Sammy Omosigho of the No. 4-ranked UCLA football team was named one of 18 semifinalists for the 2026 Chuck Bednarik Award on Tuesday morning.
Presented by the Maxwell Football Club, the Bednarik Award annually recognizes college football’s Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by a group of Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors, and national media. The winner of the 32nd Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 11.
The selection as a semifinalist is the latest national recognition in a standout senior season for Omosigho, who earlier this fall was named a semifinalist for both the Butkus Award (top CFB linebacker) and Lombardi Award (CFB lineman or linebacker who most embodies the qualities of legendary coach Vince Lombardi). He was also named a First Team Midseason All-American by the Associated Press.
Omosigho has been the captain on UCLA’s vaunted defense which ranks as one of the best in college football. With help from Omosigho, the Bruins (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) rank top 10 nationally in takeaways (27), fumble recoveries (10), rushing defense (87.7 yards/game), scoring defense (14.1 points/game), and total defense (264.7 yards/game).
Individually, Omosigho enters Week 10 as the co-FBS leader with five forced fumbles. Among Big Ten players, he ranks fourth in tackles for loss per game (1.2), eighth in sacks per game (0.6), and 13th in total tackles per game (7.2).
Omosigho was named the Bednarik Award Player of the Week following his Week 1 performance at California on Sept. 5. He nearly doubled his previous career high in tackles with 14 in addition to posting 2.0 tackles for loss, including a strip sack in the 45-24 win. Two weeks later, he was recognized as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after posting 12 tackles, two forced fumbles and 2.0 sacks in a 52-38 win over Purdue on Sept. 19.
Omosigho and the Bruins return to action this Friday, Nov. 13, hosting Illinois (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) in a league clash at the Rose Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT on FOX.