Penn State Football: Parsons, Brown Both Named To Butkus Watch List

The Butkus Award released its 2019 preseason watch list on Monday, and the Nittany Lions are well represented once again.

Two of Penn State’s three starting linebackers made the cut this preseason as Micah Parsons and Cam Brown were among those named to the watch list. The Butkus Award is given out annually to the best linebacker in the nation.

Brown enters his senior season following a solid junior campaign where he racked up 63 tackles, 6.5 stops for a loss of yards, and two sacks. Brown also forced fumbles and at 6-foot-5, recorded six passes defended in his first year as a full-time starter.

While Parsons technically does not enter the season as a returning starter, the sophomore linebacker led his team in tackles with 82 as a true freshman. Parsons was also named to the Bednarik Award (best defensive player) watch list earlier this summer and will be among the most athletic and most talked about defensive players in the nation this fall.

Both  are vying to become the first Nittany Lion to earn the honor since Paul Posluszny in 2005. LaVar Arrington also won the award in 1999, and five have previously been named finalists: Shane Conlan (1986), Andre Collins (1989), Brandon Short (1999), Posluszny (2006) and Dan Connor (2007).

The summer has been busy for Penn State on the awards front as Nittany Lions Pat Freiermuth (John Mackey Award), Michal Menet (Rimington Trophy), and KJ Hamler (Maxwell and Biletnikoff Awards) have all been named to various preseason watch lists.

Penn State sits just a few weeks from the opening of training camp and not long from an August 31st season opener against Idaho.