The Butkus Foundation on Monday announced five finalists for the 2024 Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s best linebacker.
Clemson football’s Barrett Carter was named a finalist, joining Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman, Chris Paul Jr. from the Ole Miss Rebels, the Georgia Bulldogs’ Jalon Walker, and UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger. The winner will be named by Dec. 10.
The following is a press release from Clemson Athletic Communications:
“The Butkus Foundation announced today that Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter has been named as one of five finalists for this year’s Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker.
“Carter becomes the seventh Butkus Award finalist in school history, joining Levon Kirkland (1990), Keith Adams (2000), Dorian O’Daniel (2017), Tre Lamar (2018, Isaiah Simmons (2019) and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (2023). Simmons became the first Butkus Award winner in school history when he collected the honor in 2019.
“This season, Clemson’s coaching staff has credited Carter with 63 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and seven pass breakups. Now in his fourth season in the program, Carter has played in 49 career games with 37 starts for the Tigers, helping Clemson extend its streak of consecutive nine-win seasons to 14 years, tied for the third-longest streak in major college football history. Carter has been a vocal leader of a Clemson senior class that this week will seek its 40th win in the last four years to become the 11th consecutive Clemson senior class to average 10 or more wins per season in their four-year careers.”
2024 Collegiate Finalists
Barrett Carter, Clemson
Chris Paul Jr., Mississippi
Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
Jalon Walker, Georgia
—via Clemson Athletic Communications