11/10/2026 8:00 AM | Football
Cal Safety Up For Nation’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Of The Year Award
California football defensive back Kingston Lopa has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious Chuck Bednarik Award, announced by the Maxwell Football Club on Tuesday morning. Lopa is one of 18 players from across the nation to be added to the short list for the coveted award given to the most outstanding defensive player of the year.
Lopa is the fourth Golden Bear to be named a Bednarik Award semifinalist, following cornerback Nohl Williams' 2024 selection, Evan Weaver's 2019 selection and Daymeion Hughes' 2006 selection to the short list.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck "Concrete Charlie" Bednarik, who was an All-American player at Pennsylvania and later a multiple-year All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and was the last NFL player to be a full-time player on both offense and defense.
Lopa led the nation in interceptions for seven-straight weeks. He has intercepted five passes this season, three of which came in Cal's win over Syracuse, making him the first Bear to record three interceptions in a single game since Jaylinn Hawkins intercepted three passes against TCU at the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl.
Lopa has a combined 104 interception return yards this season, which includes a 24-yard scamper for a go-ahead touchdown at Syracuse. It was the first pick-six of his career and the first by a Bear since Williams' 40-yard interception return for a score against Miami on October 5, 2025.
He has added 39 tackles, 30 of which have been credited as solo tackles, three pass breakups and one quarterback hurry to the stat sheet this season. Lopa also took snaps at wide receiver at SMU and recorded the first reception of his collegiate career on an 11-yard grab against the Mustangs.
A native of Sacramento where he attended Grant High School, Lopa transferred to Cal this season after spending two years with Oregon. He was rated as the nation's No. 8 safety and No. 145 player overall in the 2026 transfer portal by 247Sports.
