Longhorns duo Hill Jr., Lefau selected to Butkus Award watch list
For Hill, it is the second straight year he has been chosen for the preseason watch list. That comes as no surprise after the numbers that he put up last year. The Ryan High School product led the team in tackles with 103 and tackles for a loss with 16.5. He also finished third in sacks with eight. He was one of the best players at his position and in college football.
While the Kansas native continued to be a veteran anchor, he got some help from Lefau. The Laie, Hawaii native played in all 16 games last season, making 10 starts. He made the most of his opportunities with 63 tackles, which was the fifth most on the team. The talented linebacker also added two sacks and an interception to his resume.
With Hill and Lefau back in the mix, the Longhorns' defense is in good hands. They made life difficult for quarterbacks last year, which should continue. Although Hill and Lefau are focused on bringing a national title to Austin, they wouldn't mind adding more hardware to their trophy cases.
The Dick Butkus Award is given annually to the best linebacker in the nation. Since 2004, the only two Longhorns to take home the award were Derrick Johnson in 2004 and Sergio Kindle in 2009. Hill and Lefau are more than capable of ending that streak and now have added motivation.
On November 4, Hill and Lefau will find out if they are semifinalists before the finalists are revealed on November 25. The winner will then be announced by December 10, before being honored at a ceremony at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in early 2026. Hill and Lefau are hoping their travel plans will include a trip to Memorial Stadium.
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