Mizzou’s Beckner, Lock land on watch lists for prestigious college football awards

Missouri’s top offensive and defensive players earned some national recognition on Monday, when the Southeastern Conference Media Days here informally kicked off the league’s football season.

Quarterback Drew Lock is on the Maxwell Award watch list, and Terry Beckner Jr. landed on the Bednarik Award watch list. Each lists includes 85 players. The Bednarik Award goes to the country’s most outstanding defensive player, and the Maxwell Award is for the country’s top player. The Maxwell Award’s past four winner — Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Alabama’s Derrick Henry and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota — all also won the Heisman Trophy, an award the MU athletic department has already started campaigning for on Lock’s behalf.

In 2017, his first season without injury, Beckner recorded 11 tackles for a loss, including seven sacks, in 13 games. Lock, from Lee’s Summit, led the country in touchdown passes with 44 this past season.

Both seniors will represent Mizzou at SEC Media Days on Wednesday, along with coach Barry Odom and senior linebacker Terez Hall.