This week, the Bednarik Award watchlist preceded the Butkus Award watchlist.<\/p>\n
16 Big Ten Linebackers on Butkus Award Watchlist<\/h2>\nCarson Bruener, Washington<\/h3>\n
Heading into his fourth season as a starter, Washington’s Carson Bruener<\/a> is one of the most productive linebackers in the country. In three seasons, he’s made 201 tackles, eight and a half tackles for loss, one and a half sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and forced three fumbles.<\/p>\n Iowa has a\u00a0pair of linebackers<\/a> on the Butkus Award watchlist for 2024. Linebacker Jay Higgins<\/a> led the country with 171 tackles a year ago to go with five tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, four pass breakups, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He was a First-Team All-American.<\/p>\n Beside him is\u00a0Nick Jackson<\/a>. He transferred in last year and posted his fourth 100-tackle season. His 464 career tackles are 12th-most in college football history and he\u2019s within 114 tackles for the most tackles in college football history.<\/p>\n Heading into his fifth season, Ruban Hyppolite II<\/a> has been a regular contributor to the Terps’ defense. In his two fully-healthy seasons in 2021 and 2023, Hyppolite amassed a total of 128 tackles three and a half tackles for loss, a sack, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble.<\/p>\n Xander Mueller<\/a> has been Northwestern\u2019s leading linebacker for the last two years. He\u2019s coming off his first 100-tackle season and has amassed a total of 197 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, seven-and-a-half sacks, five interceptions, four pass breakups, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble over the last two seasons.<\/p>\n Femi Oladejo<\/a> transferred to UCLA from California before the 2023 season. Last year, in his first with the Bruins, Oladejo played in 13 games and recorded 54 tackles, two and a half tackles for loss, half of a sack, an interception, three pass breakups, and a pair of fumble recoveries.<\/p>\n Another transfer on the Butkus Award watchlist, Jaishawn Barham<\/a> left Maryland for Michigan this offseason. With the Terps, Barham broke out as a freshman. After two years, he finished with 95 tackles, nine and a half tackles for loss, seven sacks, an interception, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a recovered fumble.<\/p>\n Over the last three years,\u00a0Jeffrey Bassa<\/a>\u00a0has been a productive defender. Initially a safety, Bassa moved to linebacker before the 2022 season and didn\u2019t miss a step. For his career, Bassa has logged 182 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions (one pick-six), and broke up two other passes.<\/p>\n There were 13 James Madison-t0-Indiana transfers following head coach Curt Cignetti. Aiden Fisher<\/a>, after leading the Dukes on defense, was one. He finished with 47 more tackles than any other player with James Madison. His 108 tackles were fifth-most in the Sun Belt and he added six tackles for loss, a sack and a half, an interception, and seven pass breakups.<\/p>\n Ohio State has a competition at linebacker but it looks like both C.J. Hicks<\/a> and Sonny Styles<\/a> will get plenty of playing time. Hicks came to Ohio State as one of the top defensive players in the 2022 class but has only gotten on the field for 75 defensive snaps (all last year) and a handful of special teams snaps.<\/p>\n Styles, on the other hand, was a starter at safety a year ago. He finished with 537 snaps on defense last year and accounted for 53 tackles, four and a half tackles for loss, two sacks, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble.<\/p>\n The two have high ceilings and will likely split time at WILL linebacker, alongside Cody Simon (who isn’t on this this, oddly enough).<\/p>\n LBU has produced two Butkus Award winners and Kobe King<\/a> could be the next. Over his last two seasons as a full-timer, King has made 100 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, one and a half sacks, three pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries, on one of which he scored a touchdown.<\/p>\n After missing the majority of 2023 with an injury, Minnesota\u2019s senior linebacker\u00a0Cody Lindenberg<\/a> is back on the Bednarik and Butkus Award watchlists for 2024. Last year, he only appeared in four games. In 2022, he played a full season and notched 71 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, and broke up two passes.<\/p>\n Brand new to the USC program, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold<\/a> defected to the Trojans this past offseason. With the Beavers, Mascarenas-Arnold appeared in 37 games over the past three seasons. He broke out last year to the tune of 107 tackles, six and a half tackles for loss, two sacks, and two interceptions. Considering USC had one of the worst defenses in the country a year ago, they’ll lean on him.<\/p>\n An Illinois linebacker hasn’t held the Butkus Award since 1994. Dylan Rosiek<\/a>, after making the most of his first season as the starter, looks to make his argument in 2024. Last year, Rosiek posted 82 tackles, seven and a half tackles for loss, a sack, and three pass breakups, and led the Big Ten with four forced fumbles.<\/p>\nJay Higgins, Nick Jackson, Iowa<\/h3>\n
Ruban Hyppolite II, Maryland<\/h3>\n
Zander Mueller, Northwestern<\/h3>\n
Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA<\/h3>\n
Jaishawn Barham, Michigan<\/h3>\n
Jaffrey Bassa, Oregon<\/h3>\n
Aiden Fisher, Indiana<\/h3>\n
CJ Hicks, Sonny Styles, Ohio State<\/h3>\n
Kobe King, Penn State<\/h3>\n
Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota<\/h3>\n
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, USC<\/h3>\n
Dylan Rosiek, Illinois<\/h3>\n
Mohamed Toure, Rutgers<\/h3>\n
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