Texas Longhorns Star Named Semifinalist for Another Prestigious Award

The Texas Longhorns prepare for a high-profile clash this weekend, as the Longhorns get set for another road game, taking the trip out to Athens to take on the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs with high stakes hanging in the balance for both programs.

For the Longhorns, they look to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive down the final three-game stretch of the season that features two difficult matchups beginning this weekend with the visit to Athens. For the Bulldogs, they look to stay the course throughout the final weeks of the season, looking for a birth in the SEC title game and keeping their current seeding in the postseason.

With the stakes as high as they will be on Saturday night, it's the perfect game for the Longhorns' star players to play like they're stars, with one of those standouts being dubbed a semifinalist for one of the top prizes in college football.

Anthony Hill Jr. Named Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalist

\Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Anthony Evans III (3) runs after a catch as Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) attempts to make the tackle. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

As of Monday, star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was named as a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the College Defensive Player of the Year.

On the season, Hill Jr. has been the Longhorns' leading tackler with 63 total tackles (34 solo) and three forced fumbles. Additionally, the linebacker has been a game wrecker with 6.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, five quarterback hurries, and one interception.

One of the most outstanding defensive players in college football 🫡🤘 pic.twitter.com/RQOeZbZ8fC
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 11, 2025

Hill Jr. is one of 20 semifinalists for the award with other standouts in: Auburn's Xavier Atkins, Georgia's CJ Allen, LSU's Mansoor Delane, Miami's Rueben Bain Jr., Notre Dame's Leonard Moore, Ohio State's Caleb Downs and Arvell Reese, Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas, Texas A&M Cashius Howell, Texas Tech's David Bailey, among others also being up for the award recognize the best defensive player in college football.

The star linebacker was also named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, which is given annually to the nation's top linebacker. As for the Chuck Bednarik Award, the winner will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025.

This now marks back-to-back seasons where Hill Jr. was named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, as he and last year's Jim Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron were both selected as semifinalists for the award in the 2024 season.

Now Hill Jr. will have the chance to continue impressing this weekend when the Longhorns travel to Samford Stadium and throughout Texas' final games of the season against Arkansas and then the season's finale against what should be a top-three-ranked Texas A&M.