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Former NC State linebacker Payton Wilson made history by winning the 2023 Chuck Bednarik Award after his standout final season in Raleigh. Now, a pair of current Wolfpack linebackers are looking to join him as the program’s only winners of the trophy. Both graduate Caden Fordham and redshirt senior Sean Brown earned their names onto […]

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Former NC State linebacker Payton Wilson made history by winning the 2023 Chuck Bednarik Award after his standout final season in Raleigh. Now, a pair of current Wolfpack linebackers are looking to join him as the program’s only winners of the trophy.

Both graduate Caden Fordham and redshirt senior Sean Brown earned their names onto the Bednarik Award watch list, an honor that recognizes the top defensive player in college football.

Brown, who was the Pack’s leading tackler with 96 stops last fall, ranked ninth in the ACC with 7.4 tackles per game en route to being named an honorable mention All-ACC player. He also paced the league with three fumble recoveries, which was the fifth-most in the country.

Fordham, meanwhile, suffered a season-ending torn ACL halfway through the 2024 campaign. At the time of his injury, Fordham led the Wolfpack with 49 tackles and was on pace to blow his previous career high in stops. The Ponte Vedra, Fla., native impressed against Northern Illinois with a career-best 14 tackles.

Since Brown and Fordham made the Bednarik Award watch list this fall, NC State has now had at least one player make the cut in each of the last five seasons.

The Bednarik Award semifinalists will be unveiled on Nov. 11, while three finalists will be announced on Nov. 25. The winner of the prestigious honor will be revealed during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 11, while the formal presentation will be made on March 13, 2026 in Atlanta.

Tweets of the day

NC State freshman guard Matt Able earned MVP honors at the Formula Zero camp, hosted by Damian Lillard.

Pack women’s soccer named its captains for the 2025 season.

Women’s basketball has its numbers picked out for the 2025-26 campaign

Quote of the day

NC State has made Rolesville (N.C.) four-star wide receiver Anthony Roberts a top priority in its 2027 class, he told TheWolfpacker.com. He’s looking forward to seeing the NC State offense together when he attends the East Carolina game on Aug. 28.

“I want to see our guys from Rolesville, like Noah [Rogers], see them do well this year,” Roberts said. “I want to see everyone make plays on their team and bring energy to North Carolina. I think everyone is sleeping on Carolina schools.”