Football
Ellis named to watch list for top linebacker award
Arkansas linebacker Brooks Ellis has been named to the preseason watch list for the 32nd annual Butkus Award.
CHICAGO — Arkansas linebacker Brooks Ellis has been named to the preseason watch list for the 32nd annual Butkus Award, it was announced Tuesday.
The award is presented each season to the nation’s best linebacker by the Butkus Foundation. This is the second straight year that Ellis has appeared on the award’s preseason watch list.
The Razorbacks’ leading tackler in 2015, Ellis is one of 12 players from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) on the 51-person list and the sixth Razorback to earn a spot on a preseason award watch list during the past two weeks.
Ellis started all 13 games last season, extending his streak to 18 straight contests. He totaled 102 stops, which tied for ninth in the SEC. He tallied eight or more tackles six times, highlighted by three double-digit tackle efforts, and was one of two SEC defenders to log 15-plus tackles in a conference game twice.
| Fri, Dec 27 |  | Liberty Bowl vs Texas Tech (Memphis) | 6:00 PM ESPN |
| Thu, Aug 29 |  | vs UAPB (Little Rock) | W, 70-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | @ Oklahoma State | L, 31-39 2OT |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | vs UAB | W, 37-27 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | @ Auburn | W, 24-14 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Texas A&M (Arl) | L, 21-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | vs Tennessee | W, 19-14 |
| Sat, Oct 19 |  | vs LSU | L, 34-10 |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | @ Mississippi State | W, 58-25 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | vs Ole Miss | L, 63-31 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Texas | L, 20-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | vs Louisiana Tech | W, 35-14 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | @ Missouri | L, 28-21 |
| OVERALL | Record | Pts | ||
| 1. | Bryant (21) | 13-0 | 246 | 1 |
| 2. | Greenwood (4) | 13-0 | 224 | 2 |
| 3. | Bentonville | 9-4 | 185 | 5 |
| 4. | Little Rock Parkview | 13-1 | 173 | 4 |
| 5. | Conway | 10-2 | 156 | 3 |
| 6. | Pulaski Academy | 10-3 | 112 | 8 |
| 7. | Shiloh Christian | 9-4 | 77 | — |
| 6. | Benton | 10-2 | 67 | 6 |
| 7. | Fayetteville | 9-3 | 52 | 7 |
| 9. | Rogers | 8-4 | 35 | 9 |
| Others receiving votes: Arkadelphia 20, Farmington 15, Valley View 5, Hot Springs Lakeside, Mountain Home 2, Salem 2, Conway Christian 1, Little Rock Christian 1. | ||||
| CLASS 7A | ||||
| 1. | Bryant (25) | 13-0 | 125 | 1 |
| 2. | Bentonville | 9-4 | 98 | 3 |
| 3. | Conway | 10-2 | 77 | 2 |
| 4. | Pulaski Academy | 10-3 | 48 | 5 |
| 5. | Fayetteville | 9-3 | 17 | 4 |
| Others receiving votes: Rogers 10. | ||||
| CLASS 6A | ||||
| 1. | Greenwood (25) | 13-0 | 125 | 1 |
| 2. | Shiloh Christian | 9-4 | 96 | 4 |
| 3. | Benton | 10-2 | 77 | 2 |
| 4. | Mountain Home | 10-3 | 51 | 3 |
| 5. | Lake Hamilton | 8-4 | 20 | — |
| Others receiving votes: Little Rock Catholic 6. | ||||
| CLASS 5A | ||||
| 1. | Little Rock Parkview (25) | 13-1 | 125 | 1 |
| 4. | Farmington | 12-2 | 90 | 4 |
| 3. | Valley View | 12-1 | 68 | 3 |
| 5. | Hot Springs Lakeside | 10-3 | 60 | 5 |
| 2. | Joe T. Robinson | 10-2 | 25 | 2 |
| Others receiving votes: Morrilton 3. | ||||
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| 1. | Arkadelphia (25) | 13-2 | 125 | 2 |
| 2. | Elkins | 14-1 | 99 | 1 |
| 3. | Little Rock Mills | 12-1 | 52 | 3 |
| 4. | Southside Batesville | 13-1 | 46 | 5t |
| 5. | Warren | 10-3 | 28 | 4 |
| Others receiving votes: Malvern 3. | ||||
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| 1. | Salem (25) | 11-4 | 125 | — |
| 2. | Bismarck | 14-1 | 100 | 1 |
| 3. | Mansfield | 11-3 | 65 | — |
| 4. | Fordyce | 11-1 | 42 | 2 |
| 5. | Osceola | 10-2 | 21 | 4 |
| Others receiving votes: Booneville 17, Prescott 3, Rivercrest 2. | ||||
| CLASS 2A | ||||
| 1. | Conway Christian (25) | 14-0 | 125 | 2 |
| 2. | East Poinsett Co. | 10-4 | 98 | 4 |
| 3. | Junction City | 9-4 | 68 | — |
| 5. | Mount Ida | 9-3 | 41 | — |
| 4. | Carlisle | 11-1 | 25 | 1 |
| Others receiving votes: Des Arc 8, Bigelow 6, Murfreesboro 3, Cross County 1. | ||||
| 8-MAN SANCTIONED | ||||
| 1. | Strong-Huttig (25) | 8-0 | 75 | 1 |
| 2. | Midland | 11-1 | 50 | 2 |
| 3. | Cedar Ridge | 9-2 | 22 | 3 |
| Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3. | ||||