The Dick Butkus Award is given out annually to the nation’s best linebacker, and this year’s candidates are certainly going to be some to watch. As was reported by Bob Ferrante of 247 Sports, the preseason watchlist is headlined by Florida State Seminoles linebackers Reggie Northrup and Terrance Smith.
It’d be hard to find two more suitable players to consider for the award. Northrup led FSU with 122 total tackles last season and also had a sack, an interception, and a forced fumble that resulted in a touchdown.
His teammate, Smith, had 87 tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in 2014, with one of the interceptions being run back for a touchdown. Needless to say, he and Northrup will be two players to watch in the 2015 season. Were either to win, they would become the first Seminoles player to win the award since Marvin Jones did back in 1992.
But Northrup and Smith aren’t the only big names on the list.
Other candidates include LSU’s Kendall Beckwith, Auburn’s Kris Frost, UCLA’s Myles Jack and Georgia’s Jordan Jenkings, among many others.
You can see the full list below.
Dominique Alexander, Oklahoma
Kendall Beckwith, LSU
Zeek Bigger, East Carolina
Joe Bolden, Michigan
Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
Richie Brown, Mississippi State
Kelby Brown, Duke
James Burgess, Louisville
De’Vondre Campbell, Minnesota
Su’a Cravens, USC
Brooks Ellis, Arkansas
Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
Travis Feeney, Washington
Leonard Floyd, Georgia
Josh Forrest, Kentucky
Kris Frost, Auburn
Darien Harris, Michigan
Myles Jack, UCLA
Cory James, Colorado State
Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
C.J. Johnson, Mississippi
Peter Kalambayi, Stanford
Raphael Kierby, Miami-Fla.
Carl Lawson, Auburn
Cory Littleton, Washington
Antonio Longino, Arizona State
Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
Blake Martinez, Stanford
Tyler Matakevich, Temple
Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State
Mason Monheim, Illinois
Nyles Morgan, Notre Dame
Antonio Morrison, Florida
Yannick Ngakoue, Maryland
Jared Norris, Utah
Reggie Northup, Florida State
Montese Overton, East Carolina
Joshua Perry, Ohio State
Reggie Ragland, Alabama
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee
Luke Rhodes, William & Mary
Pete Robertson, Texas Tech
James Ross, Michigan
Anthony Sarao, USC
Michael Scherer, Missouri
Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Terrance Smith, Florida State
Eric Striker, Oklahoma
Jason Wittingham, Utah
Scooby Wright, Arizona
Previous winners of the Butkus Award include Pro Bowl linebackers Luke Kuechly and C.J. Mosley, as well as infamous former Oklahoma Sooner Brian Bosworth.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
