Butkus Award
Presented to the nation's best linebacker by the Butkus Foundation
2025 Butkus Award winner: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
2026 Preseason Watch List
- Xe’ree Alexander, Washington
- Xavier Atkins, Auburn
- Maverick Baranowski, Minnesota
- Rasheem Biles, Texas
- Drayk Bowen, Notre Dame
- Troy Bowles, Michigan
- Sammy Brown, Clemson
- Taye Brown, Arizona
- Gary Bryant III, Syracuse
- Amare Campbell, Tennessee
- Arion Carter, Tennessee
- Owen Chambliss, Nebraska
- Chris Cole, Georgia
- Ray Coney, Texas A&M
- Jeremy Culbreath, UCF
- John Curry, Texas Tech
- TJ Dottery, LSU
- Kooper Ebel, Penn State
- Jaxton Eck, New Mexico
- Kyle Efford, Georgia Tech
- Myles Graham, Florida
- Jordan Hall, Michigan State
- Rolijah Hardy, Indiana
- Owen Heineke, Oklahoma
- Isaiah Jones, Indiana
- Gideon Lampron, Colorado
- Trey Lathan, Kansas
- Liona Lefau, Colorado
- Kip Lewis, Oklahoma
- Owen Long, Arizona State
- Braylan Lovelace, Pitt
- Luke Mergott, Duke
- Jayden Montgomery, Iowa
- Blayne Myrick, Miami (Ohio)
- Sammy Omosigho, UCLA
- Mason Posa, Wisconsin
- Ben Roberts, Texas Tech
- Kam Robinson, Virginia
- Austin Romaine, Texas Tech
- Matt Rose, Stanford
- Peyton Seelmann, North Carolina
- Keaton Thomas, Ole Miss
- Jonathan Thompson, Cincinnati
- Mohamed Toure, Miami
- Cade Uluave, BYU
- Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame
- Whit Weeks, LSU
- Ethan Wesloski, Oklahoma State
- Raylen Wilson, Georgia
- Daniel Wingate, Maryland
- Caleb Woodson, Alabama
