IOWA CITY, Iowa – As announced Tuesday, linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson of the University of Iowa were named to the Butkus Award Watch List.
Higgins and Jackson are two of 51 linebackers on the watch list this season – a nod to the famous “51” professional jersey worn by the award’s namesake, the late Dick Butkus. The candidates represent 44 colleges and universities and include two 2023 semifinalists – Higgins and Alabama’s Deontae Lawson.
Iowa is one of seven programs, along with Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina and Utah, that has two linebackers on the roster.
Higgins (6’2″, 225 lbs.) recorded 171 tackles (79 solo, 92 assists) during the 2023 season, leading the Big Ten and ranking third nationally. The tackle total matched Iowa’s single-season record. The Indianapolis native was a FWAA first-team All-American.
This season, Higgins is Phil Steele’s national defensive player of the year. He is also on the candidate lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Wuerffel Award and was selected to the All-America first team last season.
Jackson (6-2, 235) finished his first season as a Hawkeye with 110 tackles (51 solo, 59 assists), ranking second on the team and fourth in the Big Ten. The Atlanta native was named to the All-Big Ten third team by the league’s media and earned honorable mention from the league’s coaches in 2023.
Jackson, who enters his sixth year with 464 tackles – the 12th most in FBS history – was also named to the Nagurski and Bednarik watch lists for the 2024 season.
Jack Campbell won the Butkus Award in 2022, while Larry Station finished second in the voting in 1985. Josey Jewell was a finalist in 2016, and the program has had semifinalists in 2005 (Chad Greenway), 2017 (Jewell), 2021 (Campbell), and 2023 (Higgins).
The award’s semifinalists are expected to be announced on November 4, the finalists on November 25 and the winner by December 10. A spot on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award. The 2024 Butkus Award winners at the high school, college and professional levels will be honored at an event scheduled for early 2025 at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium as part of the Big Ten Network’s television special.
The 51-member Butkus Award selection committee, comprised of coaches, scouts and journalists, guides the selection process, emphasizing the qualities that defined Dick Butkus’ career: toughness, leadership on the field, competitiveness, football character and linebacker skills. The award is increasingly focused on recognizing linebackers who consistently play without the ball while standing in a traditional two-point stance.
The Hawkeyes open the 2024 season on August 31, hosting Illinois State at 11 a.m. CT at Kinnick Stadium. The game is sold out.
