COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State's Pete Werner is a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, given annually to college football's best linebacker.
Werner leads the Buckeyes with 24 tackles this season. He had a season-high eight tackles against Indiana.
He is one of 16 semifinalists and one of two from the Big Ten.
Finalists are expected to be announced on Dec. 7 and the winner will be announced by Dec. 22.
The only other Buckeyes to earn the award are Andy Katzenmoyer in 1997 and James Laurinaitis in 2007.
The full list of semifinalists:
- Nick Bolton, Missouri
- Zaven Collins, Tulsa
- Jabril Cox, LSU
- Nakobe Dean, Georgia
- Olakunle Fatukasi, Rutgers
- Christian Harris, Alabama
- Buddy Johnson, Texas A&M
- Ernest Jones, South Carolina
- Nate Landman, Colorado
- Devin Lloyd, Utah
- Grant Morgan, Arkansas
- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
- Monty Rice, Georgia
- Charles Snowden, Virginia
- Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
- Pete Werner, Ohio State
