All three of Notre Dame's linebacker commitments — Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry and Preston Zinter — made the 51-player preseason watch list for the high school version of the Butkus Award, which is given to the best linebacker in the country.
Three Notre Dame players won the Butkus Award while in high school: Manti Te'o (2008), Jaylon Smith (2012) and Prince Kollie (2020).
From the Butkus Award release:
The award semifinalists are expected to be named Oct. 31 with finalists to follow Nov. 21. The winner will be named on or before Dec. 7. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award.
“High school football is the very heart of the sport and I enjoy recognizing and watching these players develop as athletes and young men,” said Butkus, the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer. “When an outstanding player receives the Butkus Award he will know two things: First, he is recognized as the best of the best linebackers in America; Second, and in the long run most important, he will understand this recognition brings a responsibility of giving back.”
All 2022 Butkus Award winners will be honored at a televised event on Jan. 21, 2023, at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. CBS Sports Network aired the event last season, featuring Butkus and numerous noted NFL Alumni.
Complete list:
Leonard Ah You (Kahuka, Hawaii [Kahuka])
Tausili Akana (Lehi, Utah [Skyridge])
C.J. Allen (Barnesville, Ga. [Lamar County])
Jamal Anderson (Hoschton, Ga. [Mill Creek])
Jaiden Ausberry (Baton Rouge, La. [University Laboratory])
Drayk Bowen (Merriville, Ind. [Andrean])
Troy Bowles (Tampa, Fla. [Jesuit])
Christian Brathwaite (Cypress, Texas [Cypress Ranch])
Semaj Bridgeman (Warminster, Pa. [Archbishop Wood])
Jayvant Brown (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. [St. Thomas Aquinas])
Malik Bryant (Orlando, Fla. [Jones])
Lewis Carter (Tampa, Fla. [Tampa Catholic])
Trevor Carter (Ironton, Ohio [Ironton])
Stanquan Clark (Miami, Fla. [Miami Central])
Dee Crayton (Alpharetta, Ga. [Denmark])
Justin Cryer (Brookshire, Texas [Royal])
Tackett Curtis (Many, La. [Many])
Tre Edwards (Chula Vista, Calif. [Mater Dei Catholic])
Palaie Faoa (Las Vegas, Nev. [Bishop Gorman])
Troy Ford (Savannah, Ga. [Calvary Day])
Grant Godfrey (Suwanee, Ga. [North Gwinnett])
Derion Gullette (Teague, Texas [Teague])
Jordan Hall (Bradenton, Fla. [IMG Academy])
Jaybron Harvey (Durham, N.C. [Southern Durham])
Caleb Herring (Murfreesboro, Tenn. [Riverdale])
Anthony Hill (Denton, Texas [Ryan])
Tabias Hinton (Hattiesburg, Miss. [Hattiesburg])
Grayson Howard (Jacksonville, Fla. [Andrew Jackson])
Ty Jones (Bay Springs, Miss. [Bay Springs])
Matt Kingsbury (Chicago, Ill. [St. Rita])
Ben Kueter (Iowa City, Iowa [Iowa City])
Liona Lefau (Kahuka, Hawaii [Kahuka])
David Loch (Elmhurst, Ill. [York])
Corey Lucius (Tampa, Fla. [Tampa Catholic])
Wyatt Milkovic (Chandler, Ariz. [Basha])
Zyian Moultrie-Gooddard (New Rochelle, N.Y. [Iona Prep])
Karmelo Overton (Ozark, Ala. [Carroll])
Suntarine Perkins (Raleigh, Miss. [Raleigh])
Phil Picciotti (Bradenton, Fla. [IMG Academy])
Jalen Rambert (Greenville, S.C. [Powdersville])
Arvell Reese (Cleveland, Ohio [Glenville])
Ta’Mere Robinson (Pittsburgh, Pa. [Brashear])
Jaden Robinson (Lake City, Fla. [Columbia])
Jalen Smith (Loganville, Ga. [Grayson])
Leviticus Su’a (Santa Ana, Calif. [Mater Dei Catholic])
Jeremiah Telander (Gainesville, Ga. [Gainesville])
Josiah Trotter (Philadelphia, Pa. [St. Joseph’s Prep])
Rico Walker (Hickory, N.C. [Hickory])
Whit Weeks (Watkinsville, Ga. [Oconee County])
Raylen Wilson (Tallahassee, Fla. [Lincoln])
Preston Zinter (Lawrence, Mass. [Central Catholic])
By state (51): Florida 11, Georgia 8, Texas 4, Mississippi 3, Pennsylvania 3, California 2, Hawaii 2, Illinois 2, Louisiana 2, North Carolina 2, Ohio 2, Alabama 1, Arizona 1, Indiana 1, Iowa 1, Massachusetts 1, Nevada 1, New York 1, South Carolina 1, Tennessee 1, Utah 1.
ALL-TIME BUTKUS AWARD® HIGH SCHOOL RECIPIENTS
2008: Manti Te’o, Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2009: Jordan Hicks, Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)
2010: Tony Steward, Menendez (St. Augustine, Fla.)
2011: Noor Davis, Leesburg (Leesburg, Fla.)
2012: Jaylon Smith, Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
2013: Raekwon McMillan, Liberty County (Hinesville, Ga.)
2014: Malik Jefferson, Ralph H. Poteet (Mesquite, Texas)
2015: Caleb Kelly, Clovis West (Clovis, Calif.)
2016: Dylan Moses, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
2018: Nakobe Dean, Horn Lake (Horn Lake, Miss.)
2017: Solomon Tuliaupupu, Mater Dei (Claremont, Calif.)
2019: Justin Flowe, Upland (Upland, Calif.)
2020: Prince Kollie, David Crockett (Jonesborough, Tenn.)
2021: Shawn Murphy, Unity Reed (Manassas, Va.)
Three Notre Dame players won the Butkus Award while in high school: Manti Te'o (2008), Jaylon Smith (2012) and Prince Kollie (2020).
From the Butkus Award release:
The award semifinalists are expected to be named Oct. 31 with finalists to follow Nov. 21. The winner will be named on or before Dec. 7. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award.
“High school football is the very heart of the sport and I enjoy recognizing and watching these players develop as athletes and young men,” said Butkus, the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer. “When an outstanding player receives the Butkus Award he will know two things: First, he is recognized as the best of the best linebackers in America; Second, and in the long run most important, he will understand this recognition brings a responsibility of giving back.”
All 2022 Butkus Award winners will be honored at a televised event on Jan. 21, 2023, at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. CBS Sports Network aired the event last season, featuring Butkus and numerous noted NFL Alumni.
Complete list:
Leonard Ah You (Kahuka, Hawaii [Kahuka])
Tausili Akana (Lehi, Utah [Skyridge])
C.J. Allen (Barnesville, Ga. [Lamar County])
Jamal Anderson (Hoschton, Ga. [Mill Creek])
Jaiden Ausberry (Baton Rouge, La. [University Laboratory])
Drayk Bowen (Merriville, Ind. [Andrean])
Troy Bowles (Tampa, Fla. [Jesuit])
Christian Brathwaite (Cypress, Texas [Cypress Ranch])
Semaj Bridgeman (Warminster, Pa. [Archbishop Wood])
Jayvant Brown (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. [St. Thomas Aquinas])
Malik Bryant (Orlando, Fla. [Jones])
Lewis Carter (Tampa, Fla. [Tampa Catholic])
Trevor Carter (Ironton, Ohio [Ironton])
Stanquan Clark (Miami, Fla. [Miami Central])
Dee Crayton (Alpharetta, Ga. [Denmark])
Justin Cryer (Brookshire, Texas [Royal])
Tackett Curtis (Many, La. [Many])
Tre Edwards (Chula Vista, Calif. [Mater Dei Catholic])
Palaie Faoa (Las Vegas, Nev. [Bishop Gorman])
Troy Ford (Savannah, Ga. [Calvary Day])
Grant Godfrey (Suwanee, Ga. [North Gwinnett])
Derion Gullette (Teague, Texas [Teague])
Jordan Hall (Bradenton, Fla. [IMG Academy])
Jaybron Harvey (Durham, N.C. [Southern Durham])
Caleb Herring (Murfreesboro, Tenn. [Riverdale])
Anthony Hill (Denton, Texas [Ryan])
Tabias Hinton (Hattiesburg, Miss. [Hattiesburg])
Grayson Howard (Jacksonville, Fla. [Andrew Jackson])
Ty Jones (Bay Springs, Miss. [Bay Springs])
Matt Kingsbury (Chicago, Ill. [St. Rita])
Ben Kueter (Iowa City, Iowa [Iowa City])
Liona Lefau (Kahuka, Hawaii [Kahuka])
David Loch (Elmhurst, Ill. [York])
Corey Lucius (Tampa, Fla. [Tampa Catholic])
Wyatt Milkovic (Chandler, Ariz. [Basha])
Zyian Moultrie-Gooddard (New Rochelle, N.Y. [Iona Prep])
Karmelo Overton (Ozark, Ala. [Carroll])
Suntarine Perkins (Raleigh, Miss. [Raleigh])
Phil Picciotti (Bradenton, Fla. [IMG Academy])
Jalen Rambert (Greenville, S.C. [Powdersville])
Arvell Reese (Cleveland, Ohio [Glenville])
Ta’Mere Robinson (Pittsburgh, Pa. [Brashear])
Jaden Robinson (Lake City, Fla. [Columbia])
Jalen Smith (Loganville, Ga. [Grayson])
Leviticus Su’a (Santa Ana, Calif. [Mater Dei Catholic])
Jeremiah Telander (Gainesville, Ga. [Gainesville])
Josiah Trotter (Philadelphia, Pa. [St. Joseph’s Prep])
Rico Walker (Hickory, N.C. [Hickory])
Whit Weeks (Watkinsville, Ga. [Oconee County])
Raylen Wilson (Tallahassee, Fla. [Lincoln])
Preston Zinter (Lawrence, Mass. [Central Catholic])
By state (51): Florida 11, Georgia 8, Texas 4, Mississippi 3, Pennsylvania 3, California 2, Hawaii 2, Illinois 2, Louisiana 2, North Carolina 2, Ohio 2, Alabama 1, Arizona 1, Indiana 1, Iowa 1, Massachusetts 1, Nevada 1, New York 1, South Carolina 1, Tennessee 1, Utah 1.
ALL-TIME BUTKUS AWARD® HIGH SCHOOL RECIPIENTS
2008: Manti Te’o, Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2009: Jordan Hicks, Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)
2010: Tony Steward, Menendez (St. Augustine, Fla.)
2011: Noor Davis, Leesburg (Leesburg, Fla.)
2012: Jaylon Smith, Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
2013: Raekwon McMillan, Liberty County (Hinesville, Ga.)
2014: Malik Jefferson, Ralph H. Poteet (Mesquite, Texas)
2015: Caleb Kelly, Clovis West (Clovis, Calif.)
2016: Dylan Moses, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
2018: Nakobe Dean, Horn Lake (Horn Lake, Miss.)
2017: Solomon Tuliaupupu, Mater Dei (Claremont, Calif.)
2019: Justin Flowe, Upland (Upland, Calif.)
2020: Prince Kollie, David Crockett (Jonesborough, Tenn.)
2021: Shawn Murphy, Unity Reed (Manassas, Va.)
