Fresno State linebacker leads Mountain West candidates on national watch list
Fresno State linebacker Justin Rice, a first-team all-Mountain West linebacker last season, is one of five players from the conference to be selected to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
The senior from Modesto is the top returning tackler in the Mountain West, racking up 112 total tackles a year ago including 65 solo while also tied tor the conference lead with four forced fumbles.
Boise State cornerback Jalen Walker, Nevada defensive end Dom Peterson, San Diego State defensive tackle Cameron Thomas and safety Tariq Thompson also are on the 90-player watch list for the Bednarik Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in college football..
The schedule calls for semifinalists to be announced on Nov. 3 and three finalists on Nov. 23. The Bednarik winner is scheduled to be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 10.
Ohio State defensive end Chase Young won the award last season, and past winners include LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers and Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson.
Rice is the third Fresno State linebacker to gain a spot on the Bednarik watch list in as many years, following Mykal Walker last season and Jeff Allison in 2018. Safety Juju Hughes also was on the watch list last season.
Rice started his career as a running back his freshman season out of Central Catholic High before moving to the defensive side of the football, playing safety and then outside and inside linebacker.
Rice took a redshirt after playing in four games in 2018, his true junior season, so that he could have two full seasons as a starter on the Bulldogs’ defense and it paid off nicely for Fresno State last season.
He opened the season with 10 tackles in the Bulldogs’ 31-23 loss at USC, had 11 tackles the following week against Minnesota and ended the season with double-digit tackles in eight of 12 games. The 10 or more tackles in eight games in a season was the most for the Bulldogs’ leading tackler going back through 2009. Allison had seven in 2018 and safety Stratton Brown had seven in 2016.
Rice also became the first Bulldog to return a fumble recovery for a touchdown since Ejiro Ederaine in 2013, going in from 18 yards out in a victory over UNLV.
Rice’s older brother Jared, a tight end, signed with the Los Angeles Chargers after finishing his Fresno State career last season.
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 11:49 AM.