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Nov 06, 2023

Trotter Selected as Butkus Award Semifinalist

The Butkus Foundation announced today that linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been named as one of 12 semifinalists for the 2023 Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker.

More information from The Butkus Foundation is included below.

2023 BUTKUS AWARD® SEMIFINALISTS UNVEILED
Butkus Foundation lauds 12 linebackers at each level as contenders for 2023 awards

CHICAGO – The Butkus Foundation has named 12 of the nation’s best collegiate and high school linebackers as Butkus Award® semifinalists for the 2023 season.

The collegiate semifinalists come from 12 different schools representing five conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC) and the FBS independents. There is one repeat semifinalist from a season ago, Ohio State’s Tommy Eichenberg. Nine different states are represented among the 12 high school semifinalists, with Virginia leading the way with three and Texas having a pair of semifinalists. The winner of each award will be named on or before Dec. 7.

The 2023 Butkus Award winners will be honored at a gala event on Jan. 27, 2024, at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The event will honor the legacy of namesake Dick Butkus and be supported by numerous noted NFL Alumni. Ticket and sponsorship information is available by contacting the Butkus Foundation.

Following are the semifinalist selections:

2023 Collegiate Butkus Award Semifinalists
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
Payton Wilson, NC State

2023 High School Butkus Award Semifinalists
Sammy Brown, Jefferson, Ga.
Aaron Chiles, Olney, Md.
Chris Cole, Salem, Va.
Cayden Jones, Arden, N.C.
Kris Jones, Fairfax, Va.
Payton Pierce, Allen, Texas
Brayden Platt, Yelm, Wash.
Demarcus Riddick, Clanton, Ala.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Bellflower, Calif.
Derek Weisskopf, Williamsburg, Iowa
Justin Williams, Conroe, Texas
Bodie Kahoun, Roanoke, Va.

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. The Butkus Foundation has presented the high school and professional awards since 2008. The collegiate award is now in its 39th season.

The Butkus Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.

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