Today the semifinalists for the Butkus Award were announced, and Penn State linebacker Mike Hull was not among the 15 players considered for the top linebacker award. After watching Hull put together 19 tackles in a double overtime game against Ohio State Saturday night, Hull’s absence from the semifinalist list seems to be a bit of a head scratcher.�But the Butkus Award, as many awards tend to be, is a bit of a popularity contest. How else can you defend having UCLA linebacker Myles Jack among the list of 15 semifinalists and not Hull?
Let’s just look at some numbers for a moment. Hull has 83 tackles this season (16th overall in tackles this season), an average of 11.86 tackles per game (6th in the nation). Hull is a big reason why Penn State’s defense has been playing so well this season as well. UCLA’s defense has not been as good as they were expected to be, but they have made some big plays. In eight games (one more than Hull), Jack has 61 total tackles (22 fewer than Hull and 96th nationally) for an average of 7.63 tackles per game (not even in the top 100). Hull also has 47 solo tackles to Jack’s 40, again in one less game.
But Jack was praised as a preseason Heisman Trophy contender after a breakout 2013 season. Jack was a star in the making, and he quickly became the face of the program’s resurgence. The hype may have gone overboard at times, but there is no doubt in my mind that being a household name helped push Jack into the semifinalist list. Hull, although well known by Penn State fans and those who follow the Big Ten, is still not exactly a big name in the eyes of the greater college football world. This is evidence of that.
And you can make the comparisons with other players too.
15 semifinalists named by Butkus Award. @butkusaward No Mike Hull. None have more tackles than Hull. Just 2 play on better-ranked defense.
— Donnie Collins (@psubst) October 27, 2014
Georgia’s Jordan Jenkins made it on the Butkus list despite having 45 FEWER tackles than Mike Hull. — Dan Vecellio (@djvecellio) October 27, 2014
Mike Hull: 83 tackles OU LB Erik Striker: 31 tackles One of these players is a Butkus semifinalist and one is not. — Dan Vecellio (@djvecellio) October 27, 2014
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I will not suggest there is a bias against Penn State, although I am sure some will go so far. I will also not try to make the argument Hull is the best linebacker in the country. I am not even trying to suggest Jack isn’t one of the top 15 linebackers in the country. All I am saying is if you can find 15 linebackers in the country better than Hull with a straight face, I would be surprised. Maybe James Franklin should give Hull some snaps running the football.
The Butkus Award has been presented to the top linebacker in college football since 1985, with Oklahoma’s Brian Bosworth winning the award each of the first two seasons it existed. Penn State’s LaVar Arrington (1999) and Paul Posluszny (2005) are the only two linebackers from Linebacker U to win the award.
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