Clemson Football: Two Tigers named to Butkus Award preseason watchlist

Clemson Football has two more appointments to preseason award watchlists.

Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter have been named to the Butkus Award preseason watchlist, given annually to the best linebacker in the nation.

The Butkus Award was created in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando. It is named after legendary Illinois and Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus. Butkus played for the Fighting Illini from 1962-62 and was a consensus All-American. He is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The 2022 award was given to Jack Campbell of Iowa. The only winner from Clemson is Isaiah Simmons, who won the award in 2019. Other winners include Roquan Smith from Georgia, Luke Kuechly from Boston College, Von Miller from Texas A&M, and Derrick Thomas from Alabama.

There are fifty-one players on the preseason watchlist. Carter and Trotter are joined by ACC players like Tatum Bethune from Florida State, Cedric Gray from North Carolina, Payton Wilson from N.C. State and Marlowe Wax from Syracuse.

Clemson Football players Carter and Trotter have been named to their second watchlist this preseason

Carter, Trotter, Gray and Wilson were the only players named from the Carolinas.

Other notable players on the watchlist include Justin Flowe from Arizona, Harold Perkins Jr. from LSU, Tommy Eichenberg from Ohio State and Nick Jackson from Iowa.

Carter and Trotter were also named to the Bronko Nagurski preseason watchlist and the All-ACC preseason team.

Will Shipley (Maxwell, Doak Walker, Wuerffel, Paul Hornung), Cade Klubnik (Davey O’Brien),  Ruke Orhorhoro (Outland), Tyler Davis (Outland & Bronko Nagurski), Will Putnam (Rimington), Jake Briningstool (John Mackey) and Dabo Swinney (Dodd) have also been named to preseason watchlists.

There are two more watchlist announcements to come. The Walter Camp Award watchlist will be announced today. The Bednarik Award watchlist will be announced on Monday August 14th.