Oklahoma football: Two Sooner defenders vying for Bednarik Award

We’ve arrived at the time of the year when the candidates for the 2021 national individual awards are revealed and Oklahoma football will be well represented.

One of the chief reasons the Sooners are expected to be a prime national championship contenders this season is because of a defense that has gone from one of the worst in college football, to better to much improved over the last three seasons. And in 2021, head coach Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch are expecting even better things from a defense that was 29th in the country just a year ago.

The strength of Oklahoma’s defensive unit this coming season is the defensive line, and two members of that D-line are in consideration for the 2021 Bednarik Award, which every season recognizes the best defensive player in college football.

If the Sooners make it back to the College Football Playoff this season for the fifth time in what will be the eighth year of the four-team playoff format, it will be largely because of the OU defense, and two of its biggest contributors are expected to be junior edge rusher Nik Bonitto and fifth-year senior  defensive tackle Isaiah Thomas.

Bonitto has gotten better in each of his three previous seasons at Oklahoma. He is coming off of a 2020 season in which he was credited with 10.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, two pass breakups and a team high10 quarterback hurries.

In addition, Bonitto had the nation’s highest quarterback pressure rate (25.7 percent), and pass-rush grade (93.5), according to Pro Football Focus.

Thomas played at both defensive tackle and defensive end last season. At the conclusion of last season Pro Football Focus ranked Thomas as the No. 74 overall player. He led the Sooners in 2020 with 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Both Bonitto and Thomas were named to the 2021 All-Big 12 Preseason Team.

Oklahoma’s only previous Bednarik Award winner was linebacker Teddy Lehman in 2003.