Kyzir White, brother of former first round pick Kevin White, is gearing up for what could be a special senior season. White is coming off a junior season where he generated 58 tackles, three sacks, and seven tackles for loss. One of White’s three sacks was the murder of Texas quarterback Shane Buchelle.
Dravon Askew-Henry, who was lost to the 2016 season with a knee injury, returns to help anchor Tony Gibson’s 3-3-5 defense. Henry has been a silent assassin in the back end of the defense as a freshman and sophomore. Henry plugged in right away as a freshman in 2014, helping to turn the Mountaineers from a 4-win team in 2013 to a 7-win team with a bowl game in 2014. Henry also helped fill a void when teammate Karl Joseph was lost for the year in 2015.
Semifinalists for the Bednarik Award will be announced October 30, while the three finalists will be unveiled November 20. Winners of the Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 7, 2017. The formal presentation of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 9, 2018.