University of Louisville linebacker Stanquan Clark has been named to the preseason watch list for the 41st Butkus Award, The Butkus Foundation announced on Wednesday.
The Butkus Award is award annually to the top linebacker in college football.
Clark had a breakout 2024 season as a sophomore. Starting all 13 games, Clark recorded a career76 overall tackles and 8.0 for loss, which were both second on the team. The Miami native recorded two interceptions, forced two fumbles, and tallied two pass breakups.
The Foundation also announced its Takes Heart™ initiative with Carle Illinois College of Medicine will be featured in an August Big Ten Today broadcast, showcasing joint leadership from both organizations. The partnership advances life-saving cardiovascular screening for athletes, a cause Dick Butkus championed after a 2001 scan extended his life by 23 years.
Candidates for the 2025 Butkus Award represent 39 colleges and universities nationwide. The list includes returning standouts like Alabama’s Deontae Lawson and Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, alongside emerging talents such as Indiana’s Aiden Fisher and USC’s Eric Gentry. The watch list by conference includes: SEC (18), Big Ten (12), ACC (8), and Big 12 (9), with additional nominees from four other conferences.
Award semi-finalists will be named November 4, finalists November 25, and the winner revealed by December 10. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award. 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.
The 51-member selection committee, comprised of coaches, scouts, and journalists, evaluates candidates based on the qualities that defined Butkus’ career: toughness, leadership, competitiveness, football character, and traditional linebacking skills.
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