Taye Brown Selected to Butkus Award Watch List
08/14/2026 | Football
TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Football linebacker Taye Brown has been selected to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, the Butkus Foundation announced on Thursday.
The Butkus Award, in its 42nd year, is awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate linebacker. The 51-player watch list honors Dick Butkus' iconic No. 51 jersey and recognizes the toughness, instincts, leadership, competitiveness, and football character that defined one of the greatest defensive players in football history.
Brown, a senior with the Wildcats this season, will anchor the program's defense after enjoying a career best year in 2025. Last season, the Arizona native tallied 93 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery en route to earning Third Team All-Big 12 recognition. For his career, Brown has totaled 168 tackles (70 solo), 12.5 TFL, four sacks, three takeaways, and two forced fumbles.
Semifinalists for the 2026 Butkus Award will be announced on October 28th, finalists on November 20th, and the winner will be revealed during the week of December 7th. Selection is based on performance throughout the season, and appearance on the preseason watch list is not required for a player to win the Award.
The Butkus Award, in its 42nd year, is awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate linebacker. The 51-player watch list honors Dick Butkus' iconic No. 51 jersey and recognizes the toughness, instincts, leadership, competitiveness, and football character that defined one of the greatest defensive players in football history.
Brown, a senior with the Wildcats this season, will anchor the program's defense after enjoying a career best year in 2025. Last season, the Arizona native tallied 93 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery en route to earning Third Team All-Big 12 recognition. For his career, Brown has totaled 168 tackles (70 solo), 12.5 TFL, four sacks, three takeaways, and two forced fumbles.
Semifinalists for the 2026 Butkus Award will be announced on October 28th, finalists on November 20th, and the winner will be revealed during the week of December 7th. Selection is based on performance throughout the season, and appearance on the preseason watch list is not required for a player to win the Award.
Tickets
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