Nebraska’s Luke Reimer was named Monday to the 51-man watch list for the Butkus Award, presented each year to the nation’s top linebacker.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior from Lincoln is about to begin his third season as a starter for the Huskers. He earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors in 2021 after racking up 108 tackles (six for loss), three forced fumbles and seven pass breakup. He was the first Husker since 2018 to have a 100-tackle season.
His 19 tackles against Purdue last year were the most by any Husker in a Big Ten game. Earlier in the season, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after making 16 tackles and intercepting pass against Buffalo.
At the midpoint of the two-week watch list season, Reimer is the only Husker on any of the eight lists released thus far. Coming off a 3-9 season, Nebraska was shut out at quarterback (Davey O’Brien Award), running back (Doak Walker Award), receiver (Blietnikoff Award), tight end (Mackey Award), center (Rimington Trophy), defensive back (Jim Thorpe Award) and player of the year (Maxwell Award).
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Forty-three schools are represented on the Butkus watch list, which includes five Big Ten players besides Reimer. The full list:
- Darren Anders, Bowling Green (MAC)
- Jeremy Banks, Tennessee (SEC)
- Micah Baskerville, LSU (SEC)
- Seth Benson, Iowa (Big Ten)
- JD Bertrand, Notre Dame (Independent)
- Tatum Bethune, Florida State (ACC)
- Troy Brown, Ole Miss (SEC)
- Ben Bywater, BYU (Independent)
- Jack Campbell, Iowa (Big Ten)
- Levani Damuni, Stanford (Pac-12)
- KD Davis, North Texas (Conference USA)
- Mohamoud Diabate, Utah (Pac-12)
- Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia (SEC)
- Justin Flowe, Oregon (Pac-12)
- Sherrod Greene, South Carolina (SEC)
- Kyle Harmon, San Jose State (Mountain West)
- Calvin Hart Jr., Illinois (Big Ten)
- Daiyan Henley, Washington State (Pac-12)
- Nick Jackson, Virginia (ACC)
- Jestin Jacobs, Iowa (Big Ten)
- Carl Jones Jr., UCLA (Pac-12)
- Mikel Jones, Syracuse (ACC)
- Tyrice Knight, UTEP (Conference USA)
- Carlton Martial, Troy (Sun Belt)
- Ventrell Miller, Florida (SEC)
- Jackson Mitchell, UConn (Independent)
- Jaylen Moody, Alabama (SEC)
- Isaiah Moore, N.C. State (ACC)
- Darius Muasau, UCLA (Pac-12)
- Donavan Mutin, Houston (American)
- Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt (SEC)
- DeMarvion Overshown, Texas (Big 12)
- Ivan Pace, Cincinnati (American)
- Deshawn Pace, Cincinnati (American)
- Owen Pappoe, Auburn (SEC)
- James Patterson, Buffalo (MAC)
- Bumper Pool, Arkansas (SEC)
- Luke Reimer, Nebraska (Big Ten)
- Merlin Robertson, Arizona State (Pac-12)
- Noah Sewell, Oregon (Pac-12)
- Trenton Simpson, Clemson (ACC)
- Isaac Slade-Matautia, SMU (American)
- Mariano Sori-Marin, Minnesota (Big Ten)
- DeAndre Square, Kentucky (SEC)
- Drake Thomas, N.C. State (ACC)
- Henry To’o To’o, Alabama (SEC)
- David Ugwoegbu, Oklahoma (Big 12)
- Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington (Pac-12)
- Payton Wilgar, BYU (Independent)
- Dorian Williams, Tulane (American)
- Dee Winters, TCU (Big 12)
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