CHICAGO — Arkansas junior Dre Greenlaw was named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, an honor presented annually to the nation’s best linebacker by the Butkus Foundation, it was announced Monday.
Greenlaw is one of 51 candidates for this year’s award.
Greenlaw saw limited action in 2016 due to a foot injury. He started all seven games played and finished with 42 tackles and one interception.
He led Arkansas with 35 tackles through the first five games before sustaining the injury in the first quarter against No. 1 Alabama, and posted team highs in tackles twice over the first four games.
A freshman All-American in 2015, Greenlaw led all SEC freshmen with 95 tackles, good for fifth nationally among rookies.
He played in all 13 games and recorded four double-digit tackle games in his 11 starts, three of which were against SEC opponents.
The Fayetteville product was the only player to win SEC Freshman of the Week twice.
