Football
Harris named to watch list for national award to best linebacker
Arkansas’ De’Jon Harris has been named to the Butkus Award watch list, which honors the nation’s best linebackers.
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ De’Jon Harris has been named to the Butkus Award watch list, which honors the nation’s best linebackers.
Harris is the fifth Razorback placed on a preseason watch list this summer, joining McTelvin Agim (Bednarik), Rakeem Boyd (Doak Walker) and Devwah Whaley (Doak Walker) and Cheyenne O’Grady (Mackey).
It’s the second-straight year Harris has received watch list honors for the Butkus Award.
From Harvey, Louisiana, Harris led all conference defenders in total tackles and solo stops during the regular season last year, posting 118 and 62, respectively.
It marked back-to-back years Harris has paced the Razorbacks in total tackles, recording 115 the year before. He was the first Arkansas defender since Jerry Franklin (2010-11) to hit 100 tackles in consecutive seasons.
Seven of his 12 games resulted in double-digit tackle performances last season, the most in the SEC, including five during conference action. He finished the year needing 15 tackles to crack the top 10 for most stops in a single season by an Arkansas defender.
Harris also recorded nine tackles for loss, including two sacks, with five pass breakups, a fumble forced and a fumble recovered last season.
Harris’ performance in 2018 landed him on the Associated Press All-SEC second team. He’ll enter his senior campaign as the SEC active career tackles leader with 270, needing 60 stops to move into 10th on the career tackles list Arkansas.
He was also named to the Preseason All-SEC second team last week by the media covering the conference, with Agim landing on the third team.
Semifinalists for the Butkus Award will be named on Nov. 4, finalists on Nov. 25 and winners on or before Dec. 10.
Harris and the Razorbacks will open the 2019 campaign on Saturday, Aug. 31, against Portland State at 3 p.m. at Razorback Stadium.
| 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 | 11:00 AM ESPN |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Texas | 11:00 AM |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | vs Louisiana Tech | TBD ESPN+/SECN+ |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | @ Missouri | TBD |
| Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll: | ||||
| OVERALL | Record | Pts | Prv | |
| 1. | Bryant (18) | 8-0 | 252 | 1 |
| 2. | Conway (6) | 8-0 | 230 | 2 |
| 3. | Greenwood (2) | 8-0 | 210 | 3 |
| 4. | Little Rock Parkview | 7-1 | 171 | 4 |
| 5. | Bentonville | 5-3 | 141 | 6 |
| 6. | Benton | 7-1 | 126 | 5 |
| 7. | Fayetteville | 6-2 | 100 | 8 |
| 8. | Pulaski Academy | 6-2 | 75 | 7 |
| 9. | Rogers | 5-3 | 45 | 9 |
| 10. | Shiloh Christian | 6-2 | 40 | 10 |
| Others receiving votes: Marion 13, Valley View 9, Joe T Robinson 8, Mountain Home 4, Cabot 3, Elkins 3. | ||||
| CLASS 7A | ||||
| 1. | Bryant (20) | 8-0 | 124 | 1 |
| 2. | Conway (6) | 8-0 | 105 | 2 |
| 3. | Bentonville | 5-3 | 75 | 3 |
| 4. | Fayetteville | 6-2 | 45 | 5 |
| 5. | Pulaski Academy | 6-2 | 35 | 4 |
| Others receiving votes: Rogers 5. | ||||
| CLASS 6A | ||||
| 1. | Greenwood (26) | 8-0 | 130 | 1 |
| 2. | Benton | 7-1 | 102 | 2 |
| 3. | Shiloh Christian | 6-2 | 71 | 3 |
| 4. | Marion | 7-1 | 52 | 4 |
| 5. | Mountain Home | 7-1 | 31 | — |
| Others receiving votes: Little Rock Catholic 4. | ||||
| CLASS 5A | ||||
| 1. | Little Rock Parkview (23) | 7-1 | 127 | 1 |
| 2. | Joe T Robinson | 7-1 | 90 | 2 |
| 3. | Valley View (3) | 8-0 | 80 | 3 |
| 4. | Hot Springs Lakeside | 7-1 | 48 | 4 |
| 5. | Farmington | 7-1 | 30 | — |
| Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 4, Maumelle 4, Morrilton 3, Greenbrier 2, Harding Academy 1. | ||||
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| 1. | Elkins (19) | 8-0 | 116 | 1 |
| 2. | Arkadelphia (5) | 6-2 | 79 | 2 |
| 3. | Little Rock Mills (1) | 8-0 | 70 | 3 |
| 4. | Warren | 6-2 | 40 | 4 |
| 5. | Malvern (1) | 8-0 | 31 | 5 |
| Others receiving votes: Dardanelle 22, Southside Batesville 11, Mena 8, Bauxite 7, DeWitt 4, Highland 2. | ||||
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| 4. | Bismarck (15) | 8-0 | 105 | 4 |
| 5. | Fordyce (4) | 8-0 | 76 | 5 |
| Prescott (3) | 7-1 | 53 | 1t | |
| 1. | Osceola (2) | 6-1 | 49 | — |
| 3. | Mayflower (1) | 8-0 | 36 | — |
| Others receiving votes: Booneville (1) 31, Rivercrest 19, Mansfield 14, Charleston 4, Rison 3. | ||||
| CLASS 2A | ||||
| 1. | Carlisle (21) | 8-0 | 121 | 1 |
| 2. | Conway Christian (4) | 8-0 | 104 | 2 |
| 3. | Des Arc | 7-1 | 66 | 3 |
| 4. | Bigelow (1) | 6-2 | 45 | 5 |
| 5. | Murfreesboro | 6-2 | 30 | — |
| Others receiving votes: Marked Tree 10, Mineral Springs 6, Junction City 5, Cross County 1, Mount Ida 1, Poyen 1 | ||||
| 8-MAN SANCTIONED | ||||
| 1. | Strong-Huttig (25) | 5-0 | 76 | 1 |
| 2. | Midland (1) | 7-0 | 50 | 2 |
| 3. | Cedar Ridge | 7-1 | 25 | 3 |
| Others receiving votes: Rector 5. | ||||