Karene Reid Gets Butkus Award Watch List Nod
Aug 10, 2023, 12:23 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah linebacker Karene Reid was placed on the Butkus Award watch list Thursday morning in what is shaping up to be a preseason full of respect for the one-time walk-on.
The Butkus Award is given annually to the best linebacker in the country. Reid is one of 51 (after Dick Butkus’ pro jersey number) athletes that has been named to the preseason watch list.
Reid has also been placed on the preseason watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Earlier in the offseason, Reid named preseason All-Pac-12 by the league, Phil Steele, Pro Football Focus and Athlon Sports as well.
Congrats @k_reid41 on being named to the Butkus Award watchlist, honoring the nation’s best linebackers ‼️ https://t.co/JEyyumY7JF pic.twitter.com/CM5ERsFOpQ
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 10, 2023
Karene Reid And The Utah Utes
Reid has played in 24 career games at Utah with 20 starts since 2021 when he walked onto the team. Reid earned All-Pac-12 honors last year as a second-team selection after starting in all 14 games for the Utes.
Reid was Utah’s most experienced returning linebacker in 2022 during the team’s second-straight Pac-12 title winning season after the Utes had to replace both Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell from 2021.
He filled the role admirably, leading the linebacker room with 72 tackles (9.5 TFL, 5.0 sacks) while also adding five passes defended (1 INT, 4 PBU) with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Reid racked up a season-high 10 stops against Arizona State (1.5 TFL) and recorded a season-best 2.0 TFL with a sack against Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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