Carter, Dawkins, Warren Earn Finalist Nods

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State junior defensive end Abdul Carter was named a finalist for the Bednarik Award on Tuesday, while redshirt senior offensive lineman Nick Dawkins was tabbed a finalist for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy and senior tight end Tyler Warren was tabbed a finalist for the Mackey Award.

 

The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually, by the Maxwell Football Club, to the outstanding defensive player in college football.

 

The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, named after Danny Wuerffel, 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Florida, is considered college football’s premier award for community service. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy embodies Wuerffel’s commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring student-athletes who are inspired to serve others and make positive impacts on society. This year marks the 21^st anniversary of the trophy’s founding.

 

The John Mackey Award is presented annually to the top tight end in college football.

 

Abdul Carter · Jr. · DE · 6-3 · 252 · Philadelphia, Pa. · La Salle College High School

• Named finalist for Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lombardi Award.
• Selected semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
• Member of watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award.
• Tabbed a Preseason All-American by the Action Network (1^st team), Associated Press (2^nd team), CBS (2^nd team), ESPN (2^nd team), The Athletic (2^nd team) and the Walter Camp Award.
• Garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and second-team from the media as a linebacker in 2023 and named second-team All-Big Ten by the media and third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches in 2022.
• Tabbed second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated.
• Made switch from linebacker to defensive end following 2023 season.
• Owns 152 tackles (91 solo), 33.5 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, five forced fumbles, an interception and 12 pass breakups in his third season in Happy Valley.
• Has seven career games with 2+ tackles for loss and five games with 2+ sacks.
• His 19 sacks for tied 11th all-time at Penn State.
• In 2024, has 48 tackles (30 solo), 17.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.
• Carter sits third in the FBS (1^st in Power Four) with 17.5 tackles for loss and is 20th nationally (4^th in B1G) with eight sacks.
• Ranks fifth among Power Four defensive linemen, and second in the Big Ten, with 30 solo tackles.
• Against Kent State, tallied four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
• Notched a career-high four tackles for loss and two sacks, including a strip-sack, against Illinois.
• Earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Senior Bowl Co-Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik Award Player of the Week and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Player of the Week honors following the Illinois game.
• Had three tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against UCLA.
• At USC, recorded a solo sack among 1.5 tackles for loss.
• Collected two sacks and four tackles vs. Ohio State.
• He notched six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble against Washington. He had two tackles for loss, including a strip-sack, in the first quarter.
• He garnered Bednarik Award Player of the Week and Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• Recorded two tackles for loss at Purdue, both in the second quarter.

 

Nick Dawkins · R-Sr. · OL · 6-4 · 298 · Allentown, Pa. · Parkland

• Nick founded the Dawkins Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering communities through youth engagement. The foundation has awarded three scholarships to high school seniors and collaborates with the Lehigh Valley YMCA and Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide book bags for children and teens in need.
• Dawkins has interned with the YMCA of Centre County, where he developed a multi-sports camp and an Olympic Games camp as part of the YMCA’s summer youth programming. Additionally, he volunteers at Parkland sports camps.
• Nick is the president of Penn State’s chapter of Uplifting Athletes, which raises funds for rare disease research, notably through its “Lift for Life” workout competition each June.
• Nick also serves on the board of Devon Still’s “Still Strong Foundation”, which supports childhood cancer initiatives.
• Last year, Nick chaired the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee for Penn State’s student-athlete advisory committee.
• Was Penn State’s Public Service Award winner in 2023 and won the team’s Letterman’s Club Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding graduate.
• Graduated with his bachelor’s degree in recreation, parks and tourism management.
• Working on a graduate certificate in organization development and change essentials.
• Has appeared in 37 games, including 11 starts, as a Nittany Lion.
• Has earned three Academic All-Big Ten honors.
• Through 11 games, Penn State’s offense ranks third in the nation in completion percentage (72.2; 2^nd in B1G), fourth in tackles for loss allowed per game (3.36; 1^st), sixth in pass efficiency and 10^th in third down conversion percentage (48.8; 2^nd) and fourth down conversion percentage (71.4; 3^rd).
• One of the most explosive offenses in the country, PSU ranks second in percentage of 15+ yard pass plays (26.10: fourth in 10+ yard play percentage (25.60) and sixth in big play percentage (17.35).
• Penn State has 53 plays of 20+ yards (41 passes, 12 rushes).
• The Nittany Lions did not allow a sack against West Virginia, USC, Washington or Purdue.

 

Tyler Warren · Sr. · TE · 6-6 · 256 · Mechanicsville, Va. · Atlee

• Named a Paul Hornung Award Finalist.
• Is a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award.
• Tabbed Midseason All-American by the Associated Press (1^st team), CBS Sports (1^st), Pro Football Focus (1^st), The Athletic (1^st) and the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
• Selected William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist.
• Graduated in Fall 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising/public relations and is pursuing a second degree in telecommunications.
• He is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
• Earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and honorable mention from the media in 2023.
• He owns 124 receptions for 1,516 yards and 16 touchdowns, while adding six rushing scores and a passing touchdown at Penn State.
• Warren has 21 career receptions of 20+ yards and five career 100-yard receiving games.
• Warren’s 16 career touchdown receptions are tied for ninth all-time at Penn State and tied for most among PSU tight ends with Pat Freiermuth (16; 2018-20).
• He has the most total touchdowns (22; 16 receiving, 6 rushing) all-time among Penn State tight ends.
• Against Minnesota, Warren broke the PSU tight end career receiving yards record, bettering Mike Gesicki’s 1,481 yards in 2014-17. Warren has 1,516 career receiving yards.
• With his fifth career 100-yard receiving game, against Minnesota, Warren has the most by a Penn State tight end, breaking a tie with Ted Kwalick (4; 1966-68).
• He is one of four active FBS tight ends (only Big Ten tight end) with 120+ receptions, 1,500+ receiving yards and 16+ receiving touchdowns in his career.
• He currently has a 27-game reception streak and has at least one 14-yard catch in each of his last 17 games.
• In 2024, he has 75 receptions for 910 yards and five touchdowns, while adding four rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown.
• Against Washington, Warren broke Penn State tight end season records for receptions and receiving yards, topping Gesicki’s 57 receptions for 679 yards in 2017.
• Warren’s 75 receptions this season are tied for the Big Ten tight end record held by Wisconsin’s Travis Beckum (75; 2007) and his 910 yards are 72 away from Beckum’s receiving yards record (982; 2007).
• His 75 receptions are fifth in a season among all PSU players and his 910 receiving yards are 11^th.
• Among FBS tight ends in 2024, Warren ranks second in total touchdowns (9; 1^st in Power Four), receiving yards (910; 1^st), receiving yards per game (82.7; 1^st), yards per reception (75; 1^st, min. 70 catches), third in receptions (75; 1^st) and 100-yard receiving games (4; 2^nd) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (5; T-4^th).
• He’s also second among FBS tight ends with 26 receptions of 15+ yards this season and ranks first in percentage of catches for first downs (64%) among FBS tight ends with 50+ catches.
• He’s first among FBS tight ends with 12 red zone catches, while ranking second in 10+ yard receptions (41; 1st in P4) and tied for second in 25+ yard receptions (8; t-1st).
• Caught a career-high 17 passes for a career-best 224 yards and one touchdown against USC.
• Set a Penn State and Big Ten tight end record with 224 receiving yards, while joining Northwestern’s Jon Harvey (208 vs. Michigan, 1982) as the only Big Ten tight ends to go over 200 receiving yards in a game.
• His 17 receptions are a Penn State record and tie the FBS tight end record, set by New Mexico’s Emilio Vallez in 1967 and matched by Harvey in 1982.
• Warren’s 224 receiving yards are the second-most by a Penn State player, trailing only Jahan Dotson’s 242 yards at Maryland in 2021.

 

The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik, who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and an All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

 

The 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy winner will be announced on ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 12th.  The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Presentation Gala will take place on February 1, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

 

The John Mackey Award is named after NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, who played 10 years in the NFL and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. Mackey was a three-time All-NFL honoree and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team and the league’s 50^th Anniversary team. He played in two NFL Championship Games and two Super Bowls, leading the Baltimore Colts to a win in Super Bowl V.

 

The winners of the Bednarik and Mackey Awards will be announced live during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN on December 12, 2024.

 

The formal presentation of the Chuck Bednarik Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday, March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

 

No. 4 Penn State hosts Maryland on Saturday, Nov. 30 for Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

 

For club and ticket information for the 2024 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.