Penn State’s long line of linebackers is well-documented at this point, and this year the Nittany Lions hope to add a Butkus Award winner to the program’s lineage. The watch list for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation’s top linebacker in college football, was released this week and a pair of Penn State’s top linebackers were named to the watch list.
Sophomore [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and junior [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] were each name don the watch list for the Butkus Award in 2023. Their inclusion should be no shocker given that Carter has already asserted himself as one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten and Jacobs is a sturdy veteran capable of coming up with some big moments in the Penn State defense.
Carter started six games and played in all 13 games for Penn State in 2022. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors and was a freshman All-American for the FWAA. He led Penn State with 10.5 tackles for loss last season and he finished fourth in the Big Ten with 6.5 sacks last season.
Carter has also appeared on the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
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Jacobs has started in 23 of the 32 games he has played at Penn State so far and he is coming off a 2022 season where he received honorable All-Big Ten mentions from the coaches and media. Last season, Jacobs had 52 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss with four sacks. He also had two fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown.
Penn State has two all-time Butkus Award winners in school history. LaVar Arrington won the award in 1999 and Paul Posluszny won the award in 2005.
Last year’s winner of the Butkus Award was Jack Campbell of Iowa.
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