Louisville, KY – The University of Louisville football team’s defensive lineman, Ashton Gillotte, has been named as a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award for Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year, the Maxwell Football Club National Selection Committee revealed on Monday.
Gillotte’s stellar performance in the recent win against Virginia saw him record 1.5 sacks, taking his season total up to a career-high 10.0 sacks. This impressive feat has propelled him to sixth place in the nation for sacks. Gillotte’s achievement marks the first time a player has reached the 10.0 sacks mark since Yasir Abdullah in 2021.
The junior from Boca Raton, Florida has had an outstanding season thus far, contributing 37 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, and leading the ACC with three forced fumbles in the first 10 games. Demonstrating his dominance, Gillotte registered 9.0 sacks at home this season, with one sack coming from the away game against NC State.
Gillotte’s impact was evident in several key games, including the shutout win over No. 20 Duke, in which he recorded a pair of sacks, marking his second game with two or more sacks this year. Additionally, in the 56-28 victory against Boston College, Gillotte achieved a remarkable career-high 3.0 sacks.
The list of semifinalists for both the Maxwell Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award consists of 17 candidates and 20 candidates, respectively. These exceptional athletes were selected by the Maxwell Football Club National Selection Committee. Notably, this year’s candidates for the Bednarik Award present a fresh mix of talent, representing seven different conferences and one independent institution. Leading the pack, the Big Ten and SEC each have four student-athletes featured, followed closely by the Big 12 and ACC, with three representatives each.
The winners of the 87th Maxwell Award and the 29th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show, which is set to be aired live on ESPN on Friday, December 8, 2023.
