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Pair of Alabama LBs named to Butkus Award preseason watch lists

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter07/30/25Charlie_Potter
Alabama LBs Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson
Alabama LBs Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson

The Butkus Award announced its 2025 preseason watch list on Wednesday, continuing two weeks of watch list reveals, and a pair of veteran Alabama inside linebackers made the cut.

Linebackers Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson landed on the watch list for the Butkus Award. Created in 1985, the Butkus Award is given annually to college football’s top linebacker and is named in honor of Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, widely regarded as one of the best linebackers of all time and a star at the University of Illinois and as a Chicago Bear.

Jefferson and Lawson are among 51 candidates named to the Butkus watch list. Award semifinalists will be named on November 4 before finalists are announced on November 25, with the winner revealed by December 10. The 2025 winner will be honored at a ceremony at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium in early 2026, featured on a Big Ten Network special.

Four Alabama players have won the Butkus Award in the storied program’s history – Derrick Thomas (1988), Rolando McClain (2009), C.J. Mosley (2013) and Reuben Foster (2016).

The Jim Thorpe Award was list was also announced, but no Alabama player was included.

Alabama players/coaches on preseason watch lists:

Lott IMPACT Trophy – Deontae Lawson, LT Overton
Dodd Trophy – Kalen DeBoer
Maxwell Award – Ryan Williams
Bronko Nagurski Trophy – Tim Keenan, Deontae Lawson, LT Overton
Outland Trophy – Parker Brailsford, Kadyn Proctor, Jaeden Roberts
Butkus Award – Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson

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