University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn’s Jackson Mitchell Named 2022 Butkus Award Semifinalist
11/1/2022 1:26:00 PM | Football
STORRS, Conn. – UConn junior linebacker Jackson Mitchell (Ridgefield, CT) has been named a Butkus Award® semifinalists for the 2022 season as announced by the Butkus Foundation on Tuesday.
Mitchell is one of 15 collegiate semifinalists coming from 15 different schools representing six conferences (ACC, American Athletic, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC) and the FBS independents. There are three repeat semifinalists from a season ago.
The winner of the award will be named on or before Dec. 7 after finalists are named on Nov. 21 by the award committee.
The 2022 Butkus Award winners will be honored at a televised event on Jan. 21, 2023, at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The event will again feature namesake Dick Butkus and numerous noted NFL Alumni. Ticket and sponsorship information is available by contacting the Butkus Foundation.
Mitchell is joined on the list by Jack Campbell (Iowa)*, SirVocea Dennis (Pitt), Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Georgia), Tommy Eichenberg (Ohio State), Dayian Henley (Washington State), Mikel Jones (Syracuse), DeMarvion Overshown (Texas)*, Ivan Pace (Cincinnati), Owen Pappoe (Auburn), Drew Sanders (Arkansas), Noah Sewell (Oregon)*, Trenton Simpson (Clemson) DeAndre Square (Kentucky) and Henry To'o To'o (Alabama)
*-denotes repeat selection
The junior linebacker is the Huskies top-tackler and is second in the country in total tackles with 100 stops this season. He is ranked fourth in tackles per game at 11.1. He has posted double digit tackles in five of the nine games and is coming off a 12-tackle game against Boston College, the 13th time in his career he has recorded double digit tackles in a game. He has twice this season matched his career-high for tackles in a game, making 16 stops in the season opener at Utah State and then 16 in the loss to Syracuse. He also has 6.0 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries on the season.
Founded in 1985, the Butkus Award honors linebackers at three levels while supporting causes important to the Butkus family. Causes include Butkus Takes HeartTM initiative encouraging early cardiovascular screening among adults, and the I Play Clean® initiative encouraging athletes to train naturally without performance-enhancing drugs. A 51-member expert panel of coaches, scouts and journalists guides the selection process. The Butkus Foundation has presented the high school and professional awards since 2008. The collegiate award is now in its 38th season.
The Butkus Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 800 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.
