One of the top inside linebacker duos in all of college football, both Alabama Crimson Tide starters at the position – Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell – were named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award on Tuesday.
The Butkus Award, which Alabama has won four times before, recognizes the top linebacker annually in college football.
Lawson is entering his fourth season in Tuscaloosa this fall, as well as his third as a starting inside linebacker. The redshirt junior has a combined stat line of 118 tackles, eight TFL, and three sacks across that span, and is coming off a career-high 67 tackles with 5.5 TFL, and three sacks a year ago.
Campbell, a junior, is also coming off a career-year in which he emerged alongside Lawson as a starter. After making only one tackle as a freshman, Campbell had 66 tackles, four TFL, 0.5 sacks, one INT, and two FR a year ago.
Butkus Award ▶️ Nation's Top @RealJihaadC @Deontae_0 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/fQys8DB9JU
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) August 13, 2024
Previous Alabama players to win the Butkus Award were Derrick Thomas (1988), Rolando McClain (2009), C.J. Mosley (2013), and Reuben Foster (2016).