LSU linebacker [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] was named to the preseason watch list for the collegiate Butkus Award on Monday. The fifth-year senior is one of 51 linebackers around the country to appear on the watch list.
Baskerville started all 12 games he appeared in for the Tigers last fall, finishing second on the team in tackles with 83 behind [autotag]Damone Clark[/autotag]. He also had nine tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and an interception.
Though a full-time starter for the last two seasons and the most experienced member of the linebacker corps, he’ll have to earn a starting position once again this fall. Even with Clark’s departure, the Tigers have a lot of depth with players like [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag], Virginia transfer [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag] and incoming five-star true freshman [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag].
Regardless of who starts in the off-ball linebacker spots, Baskerville figures to play a major role in the rotation and should be a veteran leader of this defense. He will look to become the second LSU player to win the Butkus Award, joining 2018 winner [autotag]Devin White[/autotag].
The list of 51 will be trimmed further to semifinalists on Oct. 31 and finalists on Nov. 21. The winner is set to be announced on or before Dec. 7. Here’s the full watch list.
Preseason Collegiate Butkus Award 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
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