What Owen Chambliss' Spot on the Butkus Award Watch List Means for the Big Red

San Diego State transfer Owen Chambliss will have the chance to prove he's the best linebacker in college football in 2026.

On Thursday, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior defender was included on the Butkus Award Watch List.
He's coming off a 2025 season in which he was the only underclassman in the Mountain West Conference to receive first-team all-defense recognition.

Now heading into his fourth collegiate season, Chambliss is one of 51 players on the list. The recognition serves as a validation of the staff's decision to bring him aboard from a non-Power Four program during the offseason. At the same time, it confirms that the Huskers got themselves a highly regarded addition to the second level of their defense.

Owen Chambliss (left) celebrates with a San Diego State teammate after a tackle. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why Chambliss Was Included

Before Chambliss entered the transfer portal and elected to follow defensive coordinator Rob Aurich and former teammate Dwayne McDougle to Lincoln, he established himself as one of the Mountain West's most productive linebackers.

In 2025, the sophomore recorded 110 tackles, 9½ tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, five pass deflections and one interception in 13 games. He led a San Diego State defense that ranked No. 11 nationally in yardage allowed.

It was a breakout season. However, Chambliss had already started seven games at linebacker for the Aztecs in 2024 after spending his first collegiate season redshirting at Utah. To this point in his career, he's appeared in 25 games with 20 starts.

What It Means for Nebraska

Chambliss' addition to the Huskers' linebacker room could be one of the most impactful on Nebraska's entire roster. His size is noteworthy on its own, but when paired with his production, it's easy to see why he was one of the most sought-after linebackers in the transfer portal over the winter.

More importantly, Chambliss already has experience in Aurich's 4-2-5 defensive scheme. That makes him an early candidate to serve as Nebraska's Green Dot representative this fall, putting him in position to communicate the defensive calls to his teammates. He's already spent an entire season learning, developing, and doing that.

He also arrives in Lincoln with plenty of experience around him. NU's 2026 linebacker room features three players who have started at least 11 collegiate games. Dexter Foster, a transfer from Oregon State, stands 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, while Vincent Shavers, who's appeared in 26 games with 14 starts as a Husker, stands 6-foot-1, 225 pounds.

Owen Chambliss and Will Hawthorne linebackers 2026-03-10 Nebraska football practice — Owen Chambliss during a practice in early March. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

What It Would Take to Become a Finalist

For Chambliss, nothing short of an extraordinary season would likely put him in contention for the Butkus Award. Over the past five seasons, the winners have averaged 104.8 tackles and 5.1 sacks.

Iowa's Jack Campbell was the most recent winner from the Big Ten. In 2022, he totaled 125 tackles, two interceptions, one pass breakup, and one sack.

That might seem daunting, but Chambliss' 2025 production speaks for itself. Doing it against Big Ten competition would certainly strengthen his argument this fall.

Nebraska has produced a Butkus Award winner before. In 1993, Trev Alberts took home the honor after recording 96 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks. He went on to be drafted fifth overall by the Indianapolis Colts.

Trev Alberts pressures Kansas State quarterback Chad May in 1993. | Nebraska Football Media Guide

More About the Award

The 51-player watch list honors Dick Butkus' No. 51 jersey and recognizes his toughness, leadership and competitiveness. Semifinalists will be announced Oct. 28, finalists on Nov. 20, and the winner during the week of Dec. 7.

Chambliss is one of 12 Big Ten linebackers on the list.

Xe’ree Alexander, Washington
Xavier Atkins, Auburn
Maverick Baranowski, Minnesota
Rasheem Biles, Texas
Troy Bowles, Michigan
Drayk Bowen, Notre Dame
Sammy Brown, Clemson
Taye Brown, Arizona
Gary Bryant, Syracuse
Amare Campbell, Tennessee
Arion Carter, Tennessee
Owen Chambliss, Nebraska
Chris Cole, Georgia
Ray Coney, Texas A&M
Jeremy Culbreath, Central Florida
John Curry, Texas Tech
TJ Dottery, LSU
Kooper Ebel, Penn State
Jaxton Eck, New Mexico
Kyle Efford, Georgia Tech
Myles Graham, Florida
Jordan Hall, Michigan State
Rolijah Hardy, Indiana
Owen Heineke, Oklahoma
Isaiah Jones, Indiana
Gideon Lampron, Colorado
Trey Lathan, Kansas
Liona Lefau, Colorado
Kip Lewis, Oklahoma
Owen Long, Arizona State
Braylan Lovelace, Pittsburgh
Luke Mergot, Duke
Jayden Montgomery, Iowa
Blayne Myrick, Miami-Ohio
Sammy Omosigho, UCLA
Mason Posa, Wisconsin
Ben Roberts, Texas Tech
Kam Robinson, Virginia
Austin Romaine, Texas Tech
Matt Rose, Stanford
Peyton Seelman, North Carolina
Keaton Thomas, Mississippi
Jonathan Thompson, Cincinnati
Mohamed Toure, Miami-Fla.
Cade Uluave, BYU
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame
Whit Weeks, LSU
Ethan Wesloski, Oklahoma State
Raylen Wilson, Georgia
Daniel Wingate, Maryland
Caleb Woodson, Alabama

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