Kentucky’s Trevin Wallace Named to Butkus Award Watch List
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky junior inside linebacker Trevin Wallace has been named to the 2023 Butkus Award Watch List, it was announced Thursday. He is one of 51 linebackers on the list, a nod to the storied “51” pro jersey worn by the award’s namesake, Dick Butkus, who was named by NFL Films as the greatest defensive player in football history. The Butkus Award recognizes the best linebackers in football.
Wallace, a 6-foot-2, 244-pounder and native of Jesup, Georgia, saw action in 12 games with six starts last season as a true sophomore for the Wildcats. He totaled 54 tackles, fifth-most on the team, with 5.5 tackles for loss, third-most on the team, and 2.5 sacks. Additionally, he led the team with two interceptions, his first career pick coming against South Carolina. His second one was in the win over Louisville as he intercepted a pass in the third quarter, returning it 19 yards. It set up Will Levis’ three-yard touchdown pass to Barion Brown.
Wallace is majoring in consumer economics & family financial counseling.
LB @WallaceTrevin is on the @thedickbutkus Award Watch List, which recognizes the best linebackers in #collegefootball.
📰🔗 https://t.co/SsLlKGfvvR pic.twitter.com/BYccBZFVt0
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 10, 2023
The award semifinalists are expected to be named Oct. 30 with finalists to follow Nov. 20. The winner will be named on or before Dec. 6. Appearing on the watch list is not a requirement to win the award.
All 2023 Butkus Award winners will be honored at a televised event in Jan. 2024. BTN (the Big Ten Network) aired the event last season, featuring Butkus and numerous noted NFL Alumni. To watch the show online via YouTube, click here.
Founded in 1985, the Butkus Award honors linebackers at three levels while supporting causes important to the Butkus family. Causes include the Butkus Takes Heart™ 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. Past winners of the collegiate award include such greats as Patrick Willis, Von Miller, Luke Kuechly, Devin White, Roquan Smith and many more. The Butkus Award is increasingly focused on recognizing linebackers who consistently play off the ball on their feet in a two-point stance in traditional form.
The Butkus Awards will be unveiling a new trophy design for this year’s recipients. Designed by renowned sculptor George Lundeen, whose works include the Red Grange and Dick Butkus statues outside Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.
The watch list for the 2023 Butkus Award for high school players will be released later this month. The Butkus Award watch list will be posted on the new Butkus Award website, thebutkusaward.com, powered by American Eagle, a global website development and digital marketing agency.
Instituted in 1985, The Butkus Award® is one of the elite individual honors, originally given each year to one player in college football: the most impactful linebacker in the game.
The Wildcats begin the 2023 season begins Sept. 2 in Kroger Field against Ball State. The Wildcats’ first three games of the season will be at home (vs. EKU on Sept. 9 and vs. Akron on Sept. 16). UK’s SEC home opener will be Sept. 30 vs. Florida.
Fans interested in season-ticket purchases for the highly-anticipated 2023 season can visit UKFootballTix.com for ticket prices and more information. Ticket packages start at just $225, offering significant savings over single-game ticket prices. Additionally, single-game ticket inventory for some of the most in-demand home matchups are already extremely limited, so fans hoping to guarantee a primary ticket spot for those games are encouraged to consider season-ticket options.
Fans may work together with a personal ticketing consultant to compare and purchase available seat locations by requesting a call or by contacting the UK Sales Office at (800) 928-2287 (Option 1).
UK Athletics and REVELxp have teamed up once again this year to offer turnkey, hassle-free tailgating for Kentucky football fans! All tailgates are located steps away from Kroger Field and offer a variety of package offerings to accommodate all groups. To learn more about tailgate packages, click here.
Mini-packs for the 2023 season are now available through UKFootballTix.com. Fans can choose one SEC matchup (Florida or Missouri) and two non-conference games (Ball State, EKU and Akron), with mini-packs starting at $104 per package.
Students interested in ticket options should visit UKStudentTix.com for complete information on football and men’s basketball ticketing and to learn more about student season passes and single-game options. The season pass request window began Monday, July 24.
Group tickets are also available for UK’s games against Ball State, EKU, Akron, Florida and Missouri. Groups of 15 or more can purchase tickets, starting at $25 each, beginning July 14 by calling the UK Sales Office at (800) 928-2287 (Option 1). To learn more about group sales opportunities, visit UKathletics.com/Groups.
UK is coming off a school record seventh straight bowl appearance, as the Cats finished the 2022 season with a 7-6 record. The Cats are 54-35 over the last seven seasons, including a 35-14 mark at Kroger Field.
