SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah’s Bradlee Anae has been named a finalist for the Ted Hendricks award. The honor is given out to the nation’s best defensive end.

Anae is currently seventh in FBS with 12.5 sacks, and second in the Pac-12 with 13.5 tackles for loss. He has claimed the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week award twice this season, after games against Arizona and Arizona State.

The senior from Hawaii is also a semifinalist for the Bednarik and Lombardi Awards.

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Utah’s History With The Award

The Utes have had two previous players as finalists for the Ted Hendricks Award. Nate Orchard won the honor in 2014, and Hunter Dimick was a finalist for the award two years later in 2016.

Anae is one of five finalists for the award. The others include Ohio State’s Chase Young, Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, Baylor’s James Lynch and Boise State’s Curtis Weaver.

The winner will be named on Dec. 11.

Tied For School Record

After getting 1.5 sacks in Utah’s regular season finale win over Colorado, Anae is now tied with Hunter Dimick with 29 career sacks, which is a school record. Anae will have at least two games to get one sack and break the record.

As a freshman in 2016, Anae had two sacks in six games played. In 2017 as a sophomore, he started 10 games and racked up 7 sacks. Last season was the breakout year for Anae with 8 sacks, leading the Pac-12 and was named first team All-Pac-12.

Utah will face No. 13 Oregon on Friday in the Pac-12 Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game will kickoff at 6 p.m. and will be televised on ABC.

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