The Terminator Keeps Collecting Hardware

For the second year in a row, Will Anderson, Jr. has received two major awards: the SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards, and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

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Anderson is only the second person in the history of the Nagurski trophy, awarded annually to the best defensive player in all of college football, to win the award in back-to-back seasons. The only other player to do so was Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald from 1995-1996. The award is voted on by the Football Writer's Association of America.

Anderson was selected in favor of Pittsburgh's Calijah Kancey, Georgia's Christopher Smith, and USC's Tuli Tuipulotu.

Anderson is the first player in the 20-year history of the SEC Defensive Player of the Year to win the award back-to-back and the second to win it twice. Georgia's David Polluck won the award in both 2002 and 2004.

Anderson finished the regular season with 51 tackles, 10 sacks, and a pick six. It was a steep decline from his historic 2021 production, but still enough to earn him both awards.

Anderson will likely be a very high first round NFL draft pick. Whether or not he intends to play in the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State remains to be seen.