Benedict College defensive standouts Loobert Denelus and Jayden Broughton have both been named finalists for the prestigious 2023 Cliff Harris Award for NCAA Divisiion II.
The Cliff Harris Award is an annual recognition program dedicated to celebrating exceptional defensive players in small college football. Named after NFL Hall of Famer Cliff Harris, the award acknowledges players who exhibit excellence on and off the field.
This year’s 36 finalists represent a talented group from various institutions across the nation, featuring All-Americans and Conference Players of the year for 2023.
“This year’s group of finalists is one of the most talented and accomplished we’ve ever seen,” said Cliff Harris, the award’s namesake. “It will be challenging to narrow this down to a single individual after reviewing the sensational seasons these players just finished.”
Denelus is one of Benedict’s most decorated football players. The two-time SIAC Defensive Player of the Year has been named an All-American by the American Football Coaches Association for the past two years, as well as several other All-America teams. He was also an Academic All-American in 2022 and was one of 16 national finalists, and the only finalist from Division II, for the Campbell Trophy, presented to the top football scholar-athlete in the nation.
Broughton had an excep-
tional season for the Tigers. He was named an HBCU All-American. He finished with 56 total tackles, including 24 tackles for loss for -114 yards and 10.5 sacks for -76 yards. He ranked sixth in the NCAA in tackles for loss and 13th in sacks.
Benedict was the only school to have two finalists.
The winner for DII will be announced on Thursday, December 28th at noon Central Time. The Cliff Harris award is generously sponsored by Wright, Lindsey, Jennings LLP.
