Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois linebacker Ben Bogle has been named one of 35 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, a prestigious accolade recognizing the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Sponsored by Stats Perform, this award highlights exceptional defensive talent in college football.

Bogle, a sophomore hailing from Ponte Vedra, Florida, distinguished himself during the season with an impressive performance. He led all linebackers in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 16.5 tackles for loss, ranking among the nation's leaders in this category.

In a standout game during Week 2 against Austin Peay, Bogle earned National Player of the Week honors by recording 3.5 sacks and setting a school record with 6.5 tackles for loss. Throughout the season, he accumulated 87 tackles and 5.5 sacks while also contributing two interceptions, two pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery.

Bogle joins an exclusive group as only the sixth player from Southern Illinois to become a finalist for this award. Previous finalists include S Alexis Moreland (2003), LB Brandin Jordan (2009), CB Korey Lindsey (2010), S Jeremy Chinn (2019), and S PJ Jules (2023).

The Buck Buchanan Award is named after Junious "Buck" Buchanan, a legendary defensive lineman who made his mark at Grambling State University during his Hall of Fame career. Notable past recipients of this award include Dexter Coakley, Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen, and Arthur Moats.

All 13 FCS conferences have representation among the finalists for this year's award. The winner will be determined by a national voting panel and announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on January 4th in Frisco, Texas.