Fifty-one names were engraved on the Dick Butkus Award watch list back in July. Over four dozen linebackers were recognized in the preseason as candidates for college football’s most prestigious award for the position. But a notable name absent from the original list is now making his case to be the best linebacker in the sport.
Tulsa outside linebacker Zaven Collins has been a force for the Golden Hurricane for quite some time. The 6-4, 260-pound Oklahoma native ranked second on the team in tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2018 and again as a sophomore in 2019.