Butkus Award voters completely miss the point by leaving Texas LB Anthony Hill off finalist list
By this point, sixth-year linebacker David Gbenda knows who can play and who can’t. The Longhorns don’t need an award committee to remind them how special Anthony Hill Jr. is. “I know what he’s capable of bringing,” Gbenda said. “You can cut the film on. The film doesn’t lie.” Hill is the leading tackler for […]
By this point, sixth-year linebacker David Gbenda knows who can play and who can’t. The Longhorns don’t need an award committee to remind them how special Anthony Hill Jr. is.
“I know what he’s capable of bringing,” Gbenda said. “You can cut the film on. The film doesn’t lie.”
Hill is the leading tackler for the nation’s No. 2-ranked defense and the Longhorns’ emotional engine. But the sophomore didn’t make the final cut of five finalists for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s best linebacker.
The five who were chosen are all standout players: Clemson’s Barrett Carter, Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr., UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger, Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman and Georgia’s Jalon Walker.
WATCH AND SUBSCRIBE: Follow A to Z Sports’ Texas Longhorns channel on YouTube.
Voting on any individual national award is always more difficult than it looks, and someone always gets squeezed out. The exclusivity is what makes these awards so appealing.
Hill is a likely All-American candidate this season with a team-high 79 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He's been good enough to catch Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons' attention this season. Just not the Butkus voters.
Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons would like to add this Texas Longhorns standout with DeMarvion Overshown
Anthony Hill, a Butkus semifinalist, won’t be NFL Draft eligible until 2026
“I mean, I’m a little disappointed, but at the end of the day, they’re all elite players,” Hill said Monday. “And it’s not my pick, whoever gets on there, so I’m just going to get ready to win a championship. That's what my mind’s on, just winning championships for this team.”
Hill will play a huge factor in Saturday’s game against No. 20 Texas A&M. He’ll be a major determining factor in whether the Longhorns reach the College Football Playoffs. He’s that critical to UT’s defensive success.
Hill won’t be worried about any award snub, Gbenda said.
“That’s the thing about Ant,” Gbenda said. “He’s just a chill guy who does what he needs to do, and he turns into a beast on the field. So from my understanding of who he is as a person, I know that’s not going to bother him at all.
“I'm saying at the end of it all, we'll see who really is the best linebacker.”
