North Carolina Tar Heels’ linebacker Power Echols is back for another season in Chapel Hill and is expected to be a key piece to the team’s defense. With Cedric Gray gone, Echols returns as a starting linebacker and someone that the unit will rely on often to make big plays.
With two weeks left until UNC kicks off in Minnesota, Echols is earning some preseason recognition.
On Tuesday, Echols was named to the 2024 Butkus Award Watch List which honors the top collegiate linebacker each season since 1985. The award is named after the legendary Illinois Fighting Illini and Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus.
This is the second preseason watch list that Echols has been named to, also being named to the Bednarik Award Watch List on Monday.
Echols is coming off a season in which he started all 13 games for UNC recording 102 tackles, 5.5 TFL, four QB pressures, two forced fumbles, one interception and a PBU. He earned third-team All-ACC honors for his play.
A list of semi-finalists will be announced on November 4th and then finalists on November 25th. The winner of the award will be announced December 10th and then honored at an event planned for early 2025 at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.
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