Best LineBacker: Butkus Awards, Full List of Winners, History

Jacob Rodriguez wins 2025 Butkus Award for nation's best linebacker, List of past winners 

Make it two-for-two for the Stache, Jacob Rodriguez! Moments after learning he won the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Texas Tech linebacker was named the winner of the Butkus Award, making him the top linebacker in the country. Rodriguez is the first linebacker since 2012 to have at least 95 tackles, five forced fumbles and two interceptions in a season.

Last-Year-WIINNER– The 40th annual collegiate Butkus Award® honoring the nation’s best collegiate linebacker was presented today to Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker. The 6-2, 245-lb. junior linebacker from Salisbury, N.C., has lined up inside and outside and produced 57 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks with two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup. Walker is the third Georgia Bulldog to win the award, all in the last eight years, joining Nakobe Dean (2021) and Roquan Smith (2017).

Best Linebacker: Butkus Award Winners List by year 1985-2025

2025_Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

2024_Jalon Walker, Georgia

2023_Payton Wilson, NC State

2022_Jack Campbell, Iowa

2021_Nakobe Dean, Georgia

2020_Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame

2019_Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

2018_Devin White, LSU

2017_Roquan Smith, Georgia

2016_Reuben Foster, Alabama

2015_Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame

2014_Eric Kendricks, UCLA

2013_C.J. Mosley, Alabama

2012_Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

2011_Luke Kuechly, Boston College

2010_Von Miller, Texas A&M

2009_Rolando McClain, Alabama

2008_Aaron Curry, Wake Forest

2007_James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

2006_Patrick Willis, Mississippi

2005_Paul Posluszny, Penn State

2004_Derrick Johnson, Texas

2003_Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma

2002_E.J. Henderson, Maryland

2001_Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma

2000_Dan Morgan, Miami

1999_LaVar Arrington, Penn State

1998_Chris Claiborne, Southern Cal

1997_Andy Katzenmoyer, Ohio State

1996_Matt Russell, Colorado

1995_Kevin Hardy, Illinois

1994_Dana Howard, Illinois

1993_Trev Alberts, Nebraska

1992_Marvin Jones, Florida State

1991_Erick Anderson, Michigan

1990_Alfred Williams, Colorado

1989_Percy Snow, Michigan State

1988_Derrick Thomas, Alabama

1987_Paul McGowan, Florida State

1986_Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma

1985_Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma

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