Tag: Butkus Award

Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman named semifinalist for Butkus Award

Oklahoma Sooners linebaker Danny Stutsman named Butkus Award semifinalist.

The Oklahoma Sooners defense has been a bright spot in 2024. Despite their 5-4 season the defense has taken another step in its development. That’s due in large part to the return and the performance of senior linebacker Danny Stutsman.

Stutsman was just named a semifinalist for the prestigious Butkus Award, given to the nation’s best linebackers. He was one of 15 semifinalists, which includes Alabama standouts Jihaad Campbell and Deontae Lawson, Shaun Dolac of Buffalo, Clamson’s Barrett Carter, Jalon Walker of Georgia, Indiana’s Aiden Fisher, Jay Higgins of Iowa, Chandler Martin of Memphis, Chris Paul Jr. of Ole Miss, N.C. State’s Sean Brown, Ohio State’s Sonny Style, Texas’ Anthony Hill Jr., Carson Schwesinger or UCLA, and Shae Suiaunoa of Wyoming.

Stutsman’s had a strong year for the Sooners. He’s third in the SEC in total tackles through nine games with 77 and has eight tackles for loss and a sack on the season.

His leadership on and off the field has been instrumental in the Sooners’ growth on defense. Stutsman’s been a cornerstone piece for the Sooners in his time with the Sooners. With three games remaining has a chance to cement himself as one of the best defenders in college football.

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LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. named to Butkus Award preseason watch list

Harold Perkins Jr. enters his junior season with quite a bit of hype once again.

The [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag] is given each year to the best linebacker in the country. [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] has been recognized as a player on the preseason watch list for the award.

Perkins is entering his junior season on the Bayou. During his freshman season, he became one of the most feared pass rushers in the country. He was recognized as a Freshman All-American for his efforts that season.

Last year, his production ticked down a bit as he played in 13 games and finished with 75 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.

Under the leadership of a new defensive coordinator, [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], Perkins is set for a breakout season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being the best linebacker in the country this fall and he plays his way into being a first-round draft pick in the next NFL draft. Baker will put him in a position to be successful.

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‘Farm Boy’ Jack Kiser ready to rock for final Irish season

Just a ‘farm boy’ playing ball for the Irish

Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker [autotag]Jack Kiser[/autotag] may be just a farm boy, but he’s also a key part of a defense that is expected to put the Irish on a playoff path this season.

He’s also on the watch list for the Butkus Award.

Not bad from a guy from the small town of Royal Center, Indiana.

“I’m proud to say I’m from a small town, a small school— a farm boy to be able to come here & contribute but also perform at such a high level,” Kiser said in an interview.

Kiser was a triple-option QB before transitioning to LB and bulking up. He says he’s worked hard to improve his football intelligence and film-study habits as he’s grown as a football player and person.

The senior also said that since this is his final training camp, he has a new energy going in.

Kiser also earned praise from fellow linebackers Drayk Bowen and Jaiden Ausberry and linebackers coach Max Bullough.

You can watch the whole thing below.

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Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser on the Butkus Award watch list

Could Kiser break the Irish’s drought and win the Butkus this fall?

Notre Dame linebacker [autotag]Jack Kiser[/autotag] has been placed on a watch list.

No, not that kind of watch list — this one’s a good one. Kiser is on the preseason watch list for the [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag], which is given out each year to the nation’s best linebackers at the high school, college and professional levels.

This means that Kiser, a graduate senior entering his sixth season, is a strong bet to win the award, which is named after the late Dick Butkus. Butkus, who starred at Illinois and later with the Chicago Bears in the NFL, is considered to be one of the best linebackers of all-time.

At the very least, Kiser should be in strong consideration for the award, barring injury.

He had 62 total tackles, one-and-a-half sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception in 2023. Forty-one of those tackles were solo.

Kiser also returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 2021.

Kiser figures to be a key part of the Irish defense is 2024, and if he’s ultimately the award winner, that should mean that Notre Dame’s defense did big things.

Such as perhaps working towards to a College Football Playoff push.

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Penn State’s top linebacker makes Butkus Award Watch List

Penn State’s top linebacker makes Butkus Award watch list for best at his position

The Penn State Nittany Lions, recently named the No. 9 team in the country, have plenty of star players, especially on defense.

On Tuesday, the leader of Penn State’s defense lineback, [autotag]Kobe King[/autotag], was named to the Butkus Award Watch List. The award is in its 40th year and is presented to the top linebacker in the country.

The Detroit native earned All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2023 and has appeared in 30 career games including 11 starts. King is set up for another jump-up in production in 2024. Last season, King tallied 59 tackles to go along with six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one hurry. Pro Football Focus graded King as the Big Ten’s best-run defender at the linebacker position last year.

The 51 linebackers named to the watch list, a nod to Butkus’s 51 jersey, will be trimmed to a semifinalist list on November 4. The finalist for the Butkus Award will be named on November 25, and the winner will be named on December 10.

Check out all the other Penn State players named to preseason watch lists in our award tracker.

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Alabama linebacker duo named to 2024 Butkus Award watch list

Alabama’s inside linebacker duo will be among college football’s best in 2024.

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.

Previous Alabama players to win the Butkus Award were Derrick Thomas (1988), Rolando McClain (2009), C.J. Mosley (2013), and Reuben Foster (2016).

Danny Stutsman named All-American by Sports Illustrated

Danny Stutsman was once again named an All-American, this time by Sports Illustrated.

The postseason awards keep on coming for the Oklahoma Sooners and their star linebacker, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. Stutsman is coming off a great season where he was in the thick of the [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag] race for the nation’s best linebacker for much of the season.

He was ultimately not named a finalist for that award. Still, that doesn’t diminish the type of season he had. He finished with 99 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks on the season. He also had two forced fumbles and an interception.

Stusman led the Sooners in tackles having nearly 40 more tackles than the next highest player. He also finished with nearly 10 more tackles for loss than second place and finished with 1.5 sacks fewer than first place on the team. His two forced fumbles also led the team.

He was the leader of a defensive unit that was much improved this season. On Wednesday morning he was named a second-team All-American by CBS Sports/247 Sports and later on, it came out he was named a second-team All-American this time by Sports Illustrated.

As more All-American lists come out over the next few days, Stutsman is sure to be on most, if not all, of them. Putting his 2023 season up there as one of the best at the position in program history.

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Clemson 5-star commit honored as the nation’s top linebacker

Clemson commit Sammy Brown was high school football’s top linebacker.

Clemson five-star commit Sammy Brown received a tremendous honor as his high school has announced that Brown was named the 2023 high school Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker.

It was an excellent season for Brown, who recorded 153 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Brown wasn’t only a dominant linebacker; he ran for 2,289 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns. He is a threat on both offense and defense for his team.

According to 247Sports rankings, Brown is currently the No.2 linebacker in the country and the No.12 overall player in the 2024 class. He will be an early enrollee, joining the Tigers as soon as possible.

A great honor for one of the country’s best, Brown is a player fans should be excited for.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. named a 2023 Butkus Award finalist

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is one of five finalists for the Butkus Award.

CLEMSON, S.C. — The Butkus Foundation announced today that Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been named as a finalist for the 2023 Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker. Trotter is one of five finalists, alongside Missouri’s Ty’Ron Hopper, Washington’s Edefuan Ulofoshio, Mississippi State’s Nathaniel Watson and NC State’s Payton Wilson.

Trotter joins Isaiah Simmons (2019), Tre Lamar (2018), Dorian O’Daniel (2017), Keith Adams (2000) and Levon Kirkland (1990) as one of six Butkus finalists in school history. If Trotter were to win the award, he would become the second player in school history to collect the honor, joining Simmons’ victory from 2019.

“He is the epitome of consistency and preparation,” Head Coach Dabo Swinney said recently of Trotter. “That guy is a worker. He loves to study the game. He studies the nuances of it. He has great anticipation in what he does, block recognition. He’s a quarterback out there that’s playing at a high level… Certainly he’s talented and he’s got all the attributes, but there’s a lot of guys that are really talented that don’t play the game like he does, and that’s because of all of the other stuff you don’t see as far as how this kid prepares.”

Trotter has started all 11 games for Clemson this season and has started each of Clemson’s last 25 games dating to the start of the 2022 season. This year, Clemson’s coaches have credited him with a team-high 82 tackles in addition to leading the Tigers in tackles for loss (14.5) and sacks (5.5). He is also tied for the team lead in forced fumbles (two) and interceptions (two, including one returned for a touchdown), and his six pass breakups rank third. He is the only FBS player in America to have recorded at least 14 tackles for loss, at least five sacks, multiple interceptions, multiple forced fumbles and a pick-six this season.

Trotter, a second-team All-America selection by the Associated Press a season ago, leads Clemson’s 10th-ranked total defense and is the only finalist who has led a defense that ranks in the top 20 nationally in yards per game. Trotter and his teammates also presently rank fifth in the nation in first downs allowed per game (14.6) and eighth in yards allowed per play (4.60).

“He’s certainly got natural instincts and a high football IQ, but he puts the work in,” Swinney said. “He’s like a Christian Wilkins at linebacker. He puts that type of work and preparation in, and it’s fun to see him get the results. Great leader — he sets the tone.”

In addition to being a Butkus Award finalist, Trotter is a Bednarik Award semifinalist and a prime candidate for All-America and All-ACC honors.

-Via Clemson Athletic Communications 

‘Has a chance to be as good as we’ve ever had’: Venables reacts to Stutsman’s Butkus snub

Danny Stutsman was snubbed this week from being a Butkus Award semifinalist.

One of the high notes from the 2023 season has been the progression of linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. Stutsman has 73 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one interception.

For much of the season, he wasn’t just playing at an All-American type of level, he was playing at a [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag] winner level. But he’s missed the last game and a half due to injury, and it’s unsure if he’ll play this weekend, although he is practicing.

This week 12 players were named semifinalists for the prestigious award. Stutsman was not one of them.

Brent Venables was asked about his star linebacker not making the list. “I didn’t know that,” Venables said. “I don’t spend a lot of time. Danny’s worked really hard. He’s an excellent player. One of the best players on our football team. He’s deserved all of the recognition that he’s gotten. He’s earned it all. His best football is still ahead of him. I don’t really have any kind of comment on a list that he’s left off of. He’s a fantastic linebacker and has a chance to be as good as we’ve ever had.”

Stutsman has more tackles for loss on the year than any of the semifinalists and has more tackles than seven of the 12. He’s also helped a defense drastically improve from a season ago.

But if the team needed any more motivation, maybe this is it.

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