Iowa defensive lineman Daviyon Nixon has been added to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, the Maxwell Football Club announced Thursday. The award is presented to the most outstanding defensive player in college football.

Semifinalists for the award will be announced Dec. 6.

Nixon, a Kenosha, Wisconsin, native, leads the Big Ten with five sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. His 36 total tackles are the most among Iowa’s defensive linemen. Nixon has registered a sack in three straight games and has posted two games (Northwestern and Nebraska) with three tackles for loss.

The junior’s highlight of the season came in Iowa’s 41-21 win at Penn State when the 305-pound lineman returned an interception 71 yards for his first career touchdown. Nixon has help lead an Iowa defense that ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (16.7), rush defense (109.3), and total defense (322.8), and fourth in pass defense.

Iowa takes its four-game winning streak on the road Saturday to face Illinois at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:35 p.m. and the contest will be televised on FS1.