WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – After establishing themselves among the nation's top players, William & Mary cornerback
Jalen Jones and linebacker
Luke Banbury were
selected as finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is annually presented to the national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football.
W&M is the only school with multiple finalists, as the duo is among an elite group of 30 honorees who garnered the distinction this season.
The selections mark the fifth consecutive season that a W&M player has been chosen as a finalist for the Buchanan Award – Nate Lynn (2021, 2023), John Pius (2022) and Jones (2024). Pius was runner up in 2022, while Lynn finished ninth in voting in 2021.
After leading the nation in passes defended (22), passes defended per game (1.8) and pass breakups (20) as a junior last season and earning first-team All-America honors by six organizations, Jones once again ranked among the country's top defensive backs this year and totaled 12 passes defended and two interceptions. Additionally, he finished the year with 39 tackles and 1.5 TFL.
One of the top cornerbacks in school history, the Chesapeake, Va., native finished his career ranked second at W&M in passes defended (52), which included eight interceptions.
After transferring from Cornell and earning preseason All-America honors, Banbury made a tremendous impact during his lone campaign in Williamsburg. In addition to ranking fourth nationally in tackles per game (11.4), he finished the season with 137 tackles – the most by a W&M player since 1988 (Kerry Gray, 143).
The Pittsburgh, Pa, native also totaled 2 sacks, 5.5 TFL, six PBU and a fumble recovery en route to garnering CAA Defensive Player of the Week accolades twice.
Banbury, who earned first-team Al-Ivy distinction last season, finished his career with 278 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 13.5 TFL, two interceptions, 13 passes defended, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
A national media panel will select the Buchanan Award winner, which will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tenn.
The Buchanan Award, first presented in 1995 and in its 31th season, is named for legendary defensive lineman Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Past recipients include Dexter Coakley, Rashean Mathis and Jared Allen.
