Instituted in 1985, The Butkus Award® is one of the elite individual honors, originally given each year to one player in college football: the most impactful linebacker in the game. In 2008, The Butkus Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, took stewardship of the award to fully realize the original purpose of honoring athletic achievement and service to the community.
Watch List
Deontae Lawson
Alabama
Justin Flowe
Arizona
Chris Paul JR.
Arkansas
DJ Schramm
Boise State
Ben Bywater
BYU
Shaun Dolac
Buffalo
Jackson Sirmon
California
Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Clemson
Barrett Carter
Clemson
Jackson Mitchell
UConn
Tatum Bethune
Florida State
Jamon Dumas-Johnson
Georgia
Smael Mondon JR.
Georgia
Aaron Casey
Indiana
Nick Jackson
Iowa
Trevin Wallace
Kentucky
Omar Speights
LSU
Jaishawn Barham
Maryland
Michael Barrett
Michigan
Junior Colson
Michigan
Cal Haladay
Michigan State
Khari Coleman
Mississippi
Nathaniel Watson
Mississippi State
Ty’Ron Hopper
Missouri
Cedric Gray
North Carolina
Payton Wilson
North Carolina State
JD Bertrand
Notre Dame
Marist Liufau
Notre Dame
Tommy Eichenberg
Ohio State
Steele Chambers
Ohio State
Danny Stutsman
Oklahoma
Jason Henderson
Old Dominion
Jestin Jacobs
Oregon
Curtis Jacobs
Penn State
Abdul Carter
Penn State
Tyreem Powell
Rutgers
Marlowe Wax
Syracuse
Jordan Magee
Temple
Jaylan Ford
Texas
Edgerrin Cooper
Texas A&M
Dallas Gant
Toledo
Jason Johnson
UCF
Darius Muasau
UCLA
Mason Cobb
USC
Karene Reid
Utah
Tyrice Knight
UTEP
JaQues Evans
Western Kentucky
John Pius
William & Mary
Maema Njongmeta
Wisconsin
Easton Gibbs
Wyoming
Semi-Finalists
Tommy Eichenberg
Ohio State
Jaylan Ford
Texas
Cedric Gray
North Carolina
Jay Higgins
Iowa
Ty’Ron Hopper
Missouri
Curtis Jacobs
Penn State
Deontae Lawson
Alabama
Marist Liufau
Notre Dame
Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Clemson
Edefuan Ulofoshio
Washington
Nathaniel Watson
Mississippi State
Finalists
Winner
Watch List
Darren Anders
Bowling Green
Jeremy Banks
Tennessee
Seth Benson
Iowa
JD Bertrand
Notre Dame
Tatum Bethune
Florida State
Troy Brown
Ole Miss
Ben Bywater
BYU
Jack Campbell
University of Iowa
Levani Damuni
Stanford
KD Davis
North Texas
Mohamoud Diabate
Utah
Jamon Dumas-Johnson
Georgia
Justin Flowe
Arizona
Sherrod Greene
South Carolina
Kyle Harmon
San Jose State
Calvin Hart Jr.
Illinois
Daiyan Henley
Washington State
Nick Jackson
Virginia
Jestin Jacobs
Oregon
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
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
Semi-Finalists
SirVocea Dennis
Pitt
Jamon Dumas-Johnson
Georgia
Tommy Eichenberg
Ohio State
Dayian Henley
Washington State
Mikel Jones
Syracuse
Jackson Mitchell
UConn
DeMarvion Overshown
Texas
Ivan Pace
Cincinnati
Owen Pappoe
Auburn
Drew Sanders
Arkansas
Noah Sewell
Oregon
Trenton Simpson
Clemson
DeAndre Square
Kentucky
Henry To’o To’o
Alabama
Finalists
Drew Sanders
Arkansas
Jamon Dumas-Johnson
Georgia
Daiyan Henley
Washington State
Ivan Pace
Cincinnati
Winner
Winner
Rocky Calmus
Oklahoma
Winner
Dan Morgan
Miami
Winner
LaVar Arrington
Penn State
Winner
Chris Claiborne
U.S.C.
Winner
Andy Katzenmoyer
Ohio State
Winner
Matt Russell
Colorado
Winner
Kevin Hardy
Illinois
Winner
Dana Howard
Illinois
Winner
Trev Alberts
Nebraska
Winner
Marvin Jones
Florida State
Winner
Erick Anderson
Michigan
Winner
Alfred Williams
Colorado
Winner
Percy Snow
Michigan State
Winner
Derrick Thomas
Alabama
Winner
Paul McGowan
Florida State
Winner
Brian Bosworth
Oklahoma
Winner
Brian Bosworth
Oklahoma
Winner
E. J. Henderson
Maryland
Winner
Luke Kuechly
Boston College
Winner
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Notre Dame
Winner
Isaiah Simmons
Clemson
Winner
Devin White
LSU
Winner
Winner
Reuben Foster
Alabama
Winner
Jaylon Smith
Notre Dame
Winner
Eric Kendricks
UCLA
Winner
C.J. Mosley
Alabama
Winner
Manti Te’o
Notre Dame
Winner
Winner
Von Miller
Texas A&M
Winner
Rolando McClain
Alabama
Winner
Aaron Curry
Wake Forest
Winner
James Laurinaitis
Ohio State
Winner
Patrick Willis
Mississippi
Winner
Paul Posluszny
Penn State
Winner
Derrick Johnson
Texas
Winner
Teddy Lehman
Oklahoma