Tag: Butkus Award

Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe on preseason watch list for Butkus Award

Oregon’s linebacker duo of Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell are on the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award.

One of the bigger disappointments of the 2021 Oregon Ducks football season is that we weren’t able to watch one of the highest-ranked recruits make is mark on the field and play alongside fellow linebacker Noah Sewell.

But now Justin Flowe is 100 percent healthy from that foot injury that took him out of last season and is ready to create some havoc for opposing quarterbacks.

Sewell and Flowe might be the best linebacker duo in the conference and according to those that make out the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, they are two of the best linebackers in the nation.

The list of 51 (the uniform number of Dick Butkus) is made up of the best linebackers college football has to offer. The Ducks are the only team to have two on the list.

Sewell was a semifinalist for the award last season and Flowe was the 2019 high school Butkus Award winner.

Now playing under Dan Lanning, considered one of the best defensive minds out there and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, it’ll be exciting to see how Flowe and Sewell progress throughout the season.

Oklahoma linebacker David Ugwoegbu named to Butkus Award watch list

Ahead of the 2022 season, linebacker David Ugwoegbu was named to the 2022 Butkus Award watch list. Oklahoma is tied with Alabama for the most all-time.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a rich tradition at the linebacker position and in 2022 have a chance to add to their history of [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag] winners as David Ugwoegbu was named to the award watch list for 2022.

Legend from the 1980s, [autotag]Brian Bosworth[/autotag], was the first recipient of the collegiate award and the only two-time winner of the Butkus. Since the award was first handed out to “The Boz” in 1985, the Oklahoma Sooners are tied with the Alabama Crimson Tide, with the most Butkus Award winners at four.

[autotag]Rocky Calmus[/autotag] and [autotag]Teddy Lehman[/autotag] also received the award as part of Oklahoma’s dominant defensive teams of the early 2000s.

[autotag]Caleb Kelly[/autotag], now a member of the program’s S.O.U.L. Mission, was a high school recipient of the Butkus Award.

Heading into 2022, Ugweogbu will be relied upon to fill the void left by Brian Asamoah, who now plays for the Minnesota Vikings. In 2021, Ugwoegbu played just the 11th-most snaps on the Oklahoma Sooners defense yet finished sixth in tackles.

The Linebacker room for the Oklahoma Sooners is deep heading into 2022, and Ugwoegbu will have to find a way to differentiate himself from a group featuring DaShaun White, Danny Stutsman, and T.D. Roof. Incoming freshman Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie, and Kip Lewis might also factor into the linebacker rotation, especially early in the season.

With Ugwoegbu’s length and athleticism, he has the potential to be fantastic for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022. With Brent Venables and Ted Roof coaching the linebackers, this could be Ugwoegbu’s best season as a Sooner.

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Simpson Named to Butkus Watch List

CHICAGO – The Butkus Award® honoring the nation’s best linebackers kicked off its 38th annual selection process today by announcing its collegiate preseason watch list. The watch list features 51 linebackers, mirroring the legendary “51” pro jersey …

CHICAGO – The Butkus Award® honoring the nation’s best linebackers kicked off its 38th annual selection process today by announcing its collegiate preseason watch list.

The watch list features 51 linebackers, mirroring the legendary “51” pro jersey associated with the award’s namesake, Dick Butkus, who was recognized by NFL Films as the best defensive player in football history. The Butkus Award is focused on recognizing linebackers who consistently play off the ball on their feet in a two-point stance in traditional form.

The collegiate Butkus Award watch list includes candidates from 43 schools, including three returning semifinalists: Iowa’s Jack Campbell, Texas’ DeMarvion Overshown and Oregon’s Noah Sewell. The SEC leads all conferences with 12 representatives, followed by the Pac-12 with nine. Teammates from seven schools – Alabama, BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa, N.C. State, Oregon, and UCLA – have been named to the list and all 10 Division I FBS conferences are represented.

The award semifinalists are expected to be named Oct. 31 with finalists to follow Nov. 21. The winner will be named on or before Dec. 7. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award.

“I am always excited about seeing our great watch list players on the field,” said Butkus, the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer. “When an outstanding player receives the Butkus Award he will know two things: First, he is recognized as the best of the best linebackers in America; Second, and in the long run most important, he will understand this recognition brings a responsibility of giving back.”

All 2022 Butkus Award winners will be honored at a televised event on Jan. 21, 2023, at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, California. CBS Sports Network aired the event last season, featuring Butkus and numerous noted NFL Alumni. To watch the show online via YouTube, click here.

Founded in 1985, the Butkus Award honors linebackers at three levels while supporting causes important to the Butkus family. Causes include Butkus Takes Heart™ initiative encouraging early cardiovascular screening among adults, and the I Play Clean® initiative encouraging athletes to train naturally without performance-enhancing drugs. A 51-member expert panel of coaches, scouts, and journalists guides the selection process. Past winners of the collegiate award include such greats as Patrick Willis, Von Miller, Luke Kuechly, Devin White, and many more.

Nakobe Dean of national champion Georgia was the 2021 recipient and is among just three players to win both the high school and collegiate Butkus Awards. The Horn Lake, Mississippi, product, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, joined Jaylon Smith and Manti Te’o in that distinction.

The watch list for the 2022 Butkus Award for high school players will be released in August. The Butkus Foundation has presented the high school and professional awards since 2008.

The complete 51-man Butkus Award preseason collegiate watch list follows:

 

2022 BUTKUS AWARD® COLLEGIATE PRESEASON WATCH LIST 

Darren Anders…………………………………Bowling Green

Jeremy Banks………………………………………. Tennessee

Micah Baskerville…………………………………………… LSU

Seth Benson………………………………………………….Iowa

JD Bertrand……………………………………….. Notre Dame

Tatum Bethune………………………………….. Florida State

Troy Brown………………………………………………Ole Miss

Ben Bywater…………………………………………………..BYU

Jack Campbell…………………………………….. Iowa 

Levani Damuni………………………………………….Stanford

KD Davis……………………………………………..North Texas

Mohamoud Diabate………………………………………..Utah

Jamon Dumas-Johnson………………………………Georgia

Justin Flowe…………………………………………….. Oregon 

Sherrod Greene……………………………….South Carolina

Kyle Harmon……………………………………San Jose State

Calvin Hart Jr……………………………………………… Illinois

Daiyan Henley……………………………. Washington State

Nick Jackson……………………………………………. Virginia

Jestin Jacobs…………………………………………………Iowa

Carl Jones Jr…………………………………………………UCLA

Mikel Jones…………………………………………….Syracuse

Tyrice Knight…………………………………………………UTEP

Carlton Martial………………………………………………..Troy

Ventrell Miller……………………………………………. Florida

Jackson Mitchell………………………………………….UConn

Jaylen Moody…………………………………………. Alabama

Isaiah Moore…………………………………………..N.C. State

Darius Muasau……………………………………………..UCLA

Donavan Mutin…………………………………………Houston

Anfernee Orji………………………………………… Vanderbilt

DeMarvion Overshown…………………………. Texas 

Deshawn Pace………………………………………..Cincinnati

Ivan Pace……………………………………………….Cincinnati

Owen Pappoe…………………………………………….Auburn

James Patterson………………………………………… Buffalo

Bumper Pool……………………………………………Arkansas

Luke Reimer………………………………………….. Nebraska

Merlin Robertson………………………………. Arizona State

Noah Sewell……………………………………..Oregon 

Trenton Simpson………………………………………Clemson

Isaac Slade-Matautia………………………………………SMU

Mariano Sori-Marin…………………………………Minnesota

DeAndre Square………………………………………Kentucky

Drake Thomas………………………………………..N.C. State

Henry To’o To’o………………………………………. Alabama

David Ugwoegbu…………………………………… Oklahoma

Edefuan Ulofoshio………………………………..Washington

Payton Wilgar…………………………………………………BYU

Dorian Williams…………………………………………..Tulane

Dee Winters……………………………………………………TCU

By conference: SEC 12, Pac-12 9, ACC 6, Big Ten 6, American Athletic 5, Independents 4, Big 12 3, Conference USA 2, Mid-American 2, Mountain West 1, Sun Belt 1.

Micah Parsons wins professional Butkus Award

Micah Parsons finally joins some notable former Penn State linebackers in the Butkus Award club

Micah Parsons has only played one season in the NFL, but he may already be in need of getting a new shelf for some awards. On Tuesday, Parsons was named the NFL’s Butkus Award winner as the league’s best linebacker for the 2021 season.

Parsons is the second player from Penn State to win the NFL version of the Butkus Award. He joins NaVorro Bowman, who took home the award in 2013 with the San Francisco 49ers. Other past professional Butkus Award winners have included TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Von Miller, and DeMarcus Ware. Parsons is the second Cowboys player to win the Butkus Award, with Ware doing so twice in 2008 and again in 2011.

Penn State has a good history with the Butkus Award, of course. Although Parsons never won the award while in college, Paul Posluszny (2005) and LaVar Arrington (1999) each won the award in college.

This year’s college Butkus Award winner was Georgia’s Nakobe Dean, who also won the high school Butkus Award in 2018.

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Rivals already regrets not making a Notre Dame 2022 signee a 5-Star

The comp is one Irish fans will remember fondly

The digital ink hadn’t even dried up from Rivals final rankings of the 2022 recruiting class and each one of their analysts was already having second thoughts. These weren’t necessarily bad thoughts, just regrets about not having a player ranked high enough.

For Adam Friedman, it was Irish linebacker Jaylen Sneed, who was a national top-45 prospect, but did not crack their 5-Star list. The linebacker was described as “one of the most athletic, quick-twitch and bouncy linebackers” that Friedman had covered.

The comparison was very familiar as well, Friedman thinks that Sneed looks like former Butkus Award winner Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. If Sneed has a similar career to JOK, all Irish fans will be happy regardless of what his star ranking was.

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Rumor: Freeman has found his linebackers coach in another former Buckeye

This would be a home run hire

Marcus Freeman is still putting together his staff and it seems like he has found his next linebackers coach in former Ohio State teammate James Laurinaitis. The “Little Animal” was a two-time defense player of the year in the Big Ten, a three-time consensus All-American, along with winning the Lott Trophy, Butkus Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

His career was definitely decorated, playing in the NFL for 8 season as well before transitioning into the commentator booth. Freeman looks to have lured  his former Buckeye teammate back to the sidelines with him. This, in my estimation, would be another fantastic hire on Freeman’s staff that is looking like they will use their Buckeye ties to try and create what they had in Columbus during their playing tenure together.

Alabama LB Will Anderson jr. snubbed from multiple CFB awards, fans bring the heat

These fans point out how dominant Will Anderson has been compared to other high-profile defensive players.

Alabama sophomore linebacker Will Anderson jr. has been one of the brightest players on this 2021 team. He’s not only an amazing player on the field that puts up amazing stats every time he suits up, but he’s a young leader that players have rallied around.

The defensive leader for the Crimson Tide tallied some impressive numbers in the 2021 college football regular season. He’s totaled 85 tackles, 14.5 sacks and even managed to accumulate two pass deflections.

Recently, various college football individual awards released their respective finalists lists. Anderson’s name was not on some of them, to the shock of many fans.

Stephen M. Smith, of TD Alabama Magazine, put it all together in a single tweet.

Anderson is a finalist for the Nagurski award, for the nation’s “most outstanding defensive player,” and the Bednarik award, which recognizes the nation’s top defensive performer.

However, Anderson was not named a finalist for the Butkus award, recognizing the nation’s top linebacker; the Walter Camp Player of the year award or the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

As mentioned in Smith’s tweet, Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis is nominated for all aforementioned awards, excluding the Butkus award for linebackers.

Davis has been a big-time contributor for the Bulldogs in 2021, but has made headlines for his sheer size and strength.

Some fans have taken to Twitter to compare the two and point out a few discrepancies.

Another tweeter included Aidan Hutchinson, the star Michigan DE, who is also up for plenty of awards.

The finalists for the Heisman Trophy have not yet been announced, but there are plenty of fans and analysts who believe Will Anderson jr. deserves a trip up to New York as a finalist, at the very least.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Will Anderson jr. as his dominance will carry over into the Crimson Tide postseason.

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Wisconsin LB Leo Chenal named finalist for a prestigious award

The Badger linebacker is earning well-deserved national recognition

After putting together a phenomenal 2021 campaign, Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal is up for the most prestigious award at his position group.

The Badger junior has been named a finalist for the Butkus Award, an annual award honoring the nation’s best linebacker. The Granstburg, Wisconsin native currently has 43 solo tackles, 5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles through seven games played.

The award is named for Dick Butkus, one of the greatest linebackers to ever play the game. Butkus starred at Illinois before headlining the Chicago Bears’ defense from 1965 to 1973.

Chenal will try to become the first Big Ten winner of the award since 2007, when then Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis took home the hardware.

Alabama lands a few more on preseason watch lists

Alabama has a few more playing landing on preseason watch lists!

The preseason watch lists continue to be released and Alabama continues to be represented.

It was announced earlier today that redshirt senior Christopher Allen, sophomore Will Anderson, and junior Christian Harris have been named to the Butkus Award Preseason Watch List. The Butkus Award is given to the best linebacker in the country. Allen and Anderson make up what could be the best outside linebacker duo in the country. Harris looks to add to what is a legendary inside linebacker legacy at Alabama.

It was also announced that junior Jordan Battle and senior Josh Jobe were named to the Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List. The Thorpe Award is given to the nation’s best defensive back. Battle looks to be a leader in the back end of the Alabama defense this season. Jobe will have the responsibility of being a lockdown corner that has been a staple of the Nick Saban defense.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

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Wisconsin LB Jack Sanborn named to the Butkus Award preseason watch list

The Wisconsin senior linebacker has been added to another preseason award watch list

On Monday morning, Wisconsin inside linebacker Jack Sanborn was named to the Butkus Award Watch List, which is awarded to the best linebacker in college football every season.

Related: Wisconsin LB Jack Sanborn named to Bednarik Award Watch List

This will be the third award that Jack Sanborn has been nominated for this offseason. In addition to the Butkus Award Watch List, the senior linebacker has already been named to the watch lists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Bednarik Award.

Jack Sanborn has been the anchor of the Wisconsin defense for the last couple of seasons, and I would not be surprised to see him added to a few more watch lists before the season starts.

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