Are There Six Linebackers In The Big Ten Better Than Junior Colson?
The 2022 Butkus Award watch list officially dropped and there are certainly some talented players on it. Instituted in 1985, The Butkus Award® is one of the elite individual honors in college football. In 2008, The award honors athletic achievement and service to the community while honoring the nation’s best high school, college, and professional linebackers. There are six Big Ten linebackers on the list but none of them wear a winged helmet. That got me thinking — are there five linebackers in the Big Ten better than Junior Colson?
The fact that there are no Wolverines on the list is not necessarily a huge surprise given some turnover at the position and several young, unproven guys expected to play a lot of snaps this year. Colson, who played in all 14 games with seven starts as a true freshman last year, is the most exciting prospective starter given his size, speed, athleticism and experience after just one year in the program. The 6-2, 225-pounder racked up 61 tackles and a half a sack last year and was recognized as a freshman All-American by several outlets. The fact that he's not on the list is a little unexpected and I'd be willing to bet he'll be on par with all of the Big Ten backers who did make the preliminary cut.
Seth Benson - Iowa
Benson is a fifth-year senior at Iowa and has played a lot of football for the Hawkeyes. During his first three years at Iowa, he had just 58 total tackles but last year, he piled up 105 tackles including 5.5 for loss and two sacks. He also picked off a pass and broke up four passes.
Jack Campbell - Iowa
Checking in at a massive 6-5, 246 pounds, Campbell was a Butkus Award semifinalist last year, so he's no stranger to success at the position. During his first two years in Iowa City, Campbell only started one game and recorded just 34 tackles. Last year however, he started all 14 contests and exploded for 143 stops, including 3.5 for loss and a sack. He also broke up eight passes, picked off two and took one back for a score.
Calvin Hart Jr. - Illinois
Hart's presence on this list is interesting. The 6-1, 230-pounder spent his first three seasons at North Carolina State where he contributed sparingly before transferring to Illinois ahead of last season. The Florida native then got injured in Illinois' opener last year causing him to miss the rest of the season. He had six tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack in that one game, but then watched the rest of the season from the sidelines. Obviously he's expected to do a lot in 2022, but he's got just 43 total tackles over his four-year playing career.
Jestin Jacobs - Iowa
Jacobs played in 14 games with eight starts for the Hawkeyes last year and flashed signs of being a very productive linebacker. He finished the 2021 season with 53 total tackles, including .5 for loss, and an interception. At 6-4, 238 pounds, he's got good length for the position and should be in on a lot of plays this year.
Luke Reimer - Nebraska
The fourth-year player really got it done for the Huskers last year. In 12 games, Reimer tallied 108 tackles, including six for loss and a sack, and also picked off a pass and forced three fumbles. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Reimer racked up 40 tackles, including five for loss and two sacks. The 6-1, 225-pounder is expected to play nearly every defensive snap for the Huskers this year and should eclipse the 100-tackle mark again.
Mariano Sori-Marin - Minnesota
The fifth-year senior has already played a lot of football for the Gophers and is expected to be the anchor of the 2022 defense. After three productive seasons where he racked up a total of 181 tackles, Sori-Marin should approach that 100-tackle mark in 2022. Last year, his 85 tackles, four pass breakups and interception earned him an All-Big Ten honorable mention. The 6-3, 245-pounder is the leader of PJ Fleck's defense.
When you look at the year Colson had compared to the outlined six Big Ten backers, he would not be out of place on this watch list. Michigan's explosive sophomore did in his true freshman year what several of the aforementioned linebackers did last year with more experience under their belt. It'll be really interesting to see where Colson stacks up against these other guys as the season progresses.
Notes
• Former Detroit Cass Tech standout and current Kentucky Wildcat DeAndre Square is on the list after four very productive years in Knoxville. The 6-1, 221-pounder seemed like a perfect fit as a VIPER for Don Brown's defense back when he graduated in 2018, but Michigan never really recruited him. Now, he's a two-time captain and has racked up 244 total tackles, including 19.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
• Michigan freshman quarterback Alex Orji's older brother, Anfernee Orji, is also on the Dick Butkus watch list. The 6-2, 230-pounder led Vanderbilt with 93 tackles, including 13 for loss and a sack in 2021.
