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The University of Utah Athletics
Cole Bishop Earns Spot on Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
8/14/2023 10:00 AM | Football
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – University of Utah safety Cole Bishop has been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, given annually to the most outstanding defensive player in college football.
It is the third preseason watch list that Bishop has earned a spot on, also landing on the Jim Thorpe Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch lists. He has also been named a preseason All-American by Phil Steele, Athlon Sports, Walter Camp and SIS.
The Peachtree City, Ga., native has played in 24 career games at Utah with 19 starts, entering the 2023 season ranking second among active Pac-12 defensive backs with 5.7 tackles per game. He is also a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, earning honorable mention in 2022 and 2021.
In 2022, Bishop started all 14 games with 13 starts at safety, leading the team in tackles with 83 (6.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks). He also had four passes defended (1 INT, 3 PBU) and a fumble recovery.
He averaged 5.6 tackles in the last five games of the season, including racking up nine against USC in the Pac-12 title game and six against Penn State in the Rose Bowl. He posted a career-high 12 tackles in the season opener against Florida, also adding a quarterback hurry against the Gators.
In his collegiate debut in 2021, Bishop led all true freshmen on the team with 54 tackles (9.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks) with five pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Along with his season-high eight tackles against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game and against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, he also blocked a field goal against Oregon in the regular season.
FOLLOW US!
To get an inside look at the Utah Football program during its journey through the 2023 season, follow the Utes on social media along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com.
COMING SOON
The Utes will open 2023 at home, hosting the Florida Gators on Thursday, Aug. 31 in Rice-Eccles Stadium at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN. The game against the Gators will be a Red Out with fans encouraged to wear red.
It is the third preseason watch list that Bishop has earned a spot on, also landing on the Jim Thorpe Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch lists. He has also been named a preseason All-American by Phil Steele, Athlon Sports, Walter Camp and SIS.
The Peachtree City, Ga., native has played in 24 career games at Utah with 19 starts, entering the 2023 season ranking second among active Pac-12 defensive backs with 5.7 tackles per game. He is also a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, earning honorable mention in 2022 and 2021.
In 2022, Bishop started all 14 games with 13 starts at safety, leading the team in tackles with 83 (6.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks). He also had four passes defended (1 INT, 3 PBU) and a fumble recovery.
He averaged 5.6 tackles in the last five games of the season, including racking up nine against USC in the Pac-12 title game and six against Penn State in the Rose Bowl. He posted a career-high 12 tackles in the season opener against Florida, also adding a quarterback hurry against the Gators.
In his collegiate debut in 2021, Bishop led all true freshmen on the team with 54 tackles (9.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks) with five pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Along with his season-high eight tackles against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game and against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, he also blocked a field goal against Oregon in the regular season.
FOLLOW US!
To get an inside look at the Utah Football program during its journey through the 2023 season, follow the Utes on social media along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com.
| Twitter: | @Utah_Football |
| Instagram: | @UtahFootball |
| Threads: | @UtahFootball |
| Facebook: | Utah Football |
| Tik Tok: | @Utah_Football |
COMING SOON
The Utes will open 2023 at home, hosting the Florida Gators on Thursday, Aug. 31 in Rice-Eccles Stadium at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN. The game against the Gators will be a Red Out with fans encouraged to wear red.
Players Mentioned
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