OU’s Nik Bonitto Named to Butkus Award Watch List
Oklahoma linebacker Nik Bonitto was one of several Big 12 players named to the 2021 Dick Butkus Award Watch List on Monday.
The watch list revealed the players that are initial candidates for the award given to the best linebacker in college football. It is named for Dick Butkus, who played his college football at Illinois and later became a Pro Football Hall of Famer with the Chicago Bears.
Bonitto was a First-Team Pro Football Focus All-American and a Second-Team Associated Press All-American after a 32-tackle season in 2020. That season included 10 1/2 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He also had a team-high 10 quarterback hurries.
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The other two Big 12 players on the Butkus Watch List were Demarvion Overshown of Texas, Malcolm Rodriguez of Oklahoma State and Mike Rose of Iowa State. Rose is the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned First- and Second-Team All-America honors from several outlets.
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2021 Dick Butkus Award Watch List
(Big 12 Players in Bold)
Blaze Alldredge, Missouri
Christopher Allen, Alabama
Will Anderson, Alabama
Adam Anderson, Georgia
Brian Asamoah, Oklahoma
Chris Bergin, Northwestern
Terrel Bernard, Baylor
Nik Bonnito, Oklahoma
Damone Clark, LSU
Nakobe Dean, Georgia
Olakunle Fatukasi, Rutgers
Amari Gainer, Florida State
Jeremiah Gemmel, North Carolina
Jackson Hankey, North Dakota State
Jake Hansen, Illinois
Aaron Hansford, Texas A&M
Christian Harris, Alabama
Lakia Henry, Mississippi
Nick Jackson, Virginia
Drake Jackson, USC
Mikel Jones, Syracuse
Nate Landman, Colorado
Devin Lloyd, Utah
Jesse Luketa, Penn State
Carlton Martial, Troy
Zakoby McClain, Auburn
Micah McFadden, Indiana
Ventrell Miller, Florida
Grant Morgan, Arkansas
Chad Muma, Wyoming
Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt
Demarvion Overshown, Texas
James Patterson, Buffalo
Bumper Pool, Arkansas
Avery Roberts, Oregon State
Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
Malcolm Rodriguez, Oklahoma State
Mike Rose, Iowa State
Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin
Colin Schooler, Texas Tech
Noah Sewell, Oregon
James Skalski, Clemson
Brandon Smith, Penn State
Baylon Spector, Clemson
Jordan Strachan, South Carolina
Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
Quay Walker, Georgia
Payton Wilgar, BYU
Sam Williams, Mississippi
Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
