Drue Tranquill, Te'von Coney Make 2018 Butkus Award Watch List
Graduate student Drue Tranquill and senior Te’von Coney both contemplated taking their talents to the NFL in 2018.
Instead, both will be part of a veteran defense that returns nine starters and many others with starting experience on a unit that finished 20th last season in the Fremeau Efficiency Index.
Although moving to new full-time positions this season, the tandem of Tranquill and Coney were selected among the 51 players on the 2018 Butkus Award Watch List, which has been presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker since 1985. The award is named after Dick Butkus, recognized by NFL Films as the best defensive player in football history. His jersey number 51 represents the number of candidates selected each year on the Watch List.
The 23rd two-time captain in Notre Dame history (matching his own jersey number), Tranquill moved from safety to line up at the hybrid rover position last season, finishing third in tackles (85) and second in tackles for loss (10.5). Feedback from the NFL, however, indicated that the weakside linebacker position (Buck) would be his best spot at the next level, and that’s where the engineer graduate was shifted this spring.
“I just love this team so much, love this university and the opportunity to play,” said Tranquill on why he opted to return for a fifth season. “There’s just something special about college football.”
Coney played at Buck last season but will replace the graduated Nyles Morgan in the middle (Mike). Coney paced the team in tackles last year with 116 (the most at the school since 2012 Butkus Award winner Manti Te’o had 133), as well as tackles for loss with 13. He posted a career high 17 in the Citrus Bowl win versus LSU. He waited right until the Jan. 15 deadline to announce his return, but upon further review is glad he made the decision he did.
“I just wasn’t a complete player last year,” Coney said. “I think I did great things, but there was more in the tank for me. I knew that this coaching staff would be able to get me to the highest level, and I knew that coming back I’d reach my full potential.
“…Coming back and being able to improve in coverage and being able to showcase in the fall, I think that will help me become a better player as well. Coach [Clark] Lea just continues to push me to another level. When I think I’m at the next level … you’ve got more to go.”
Returning finalists include Devin Bush of Michigan and T.J. Edwards of Wisconsin, and returning semi-finalists Josh Allen of Kentucky and Cameron Smith of USC. Also making the watch list are past national high school Butkus Award winners Caleb Kelly (2015) of Oklahoma and Dylan Moses (2016) of Alabama.
In addition to Bush and Smith, 2018 Notre Dame opponents on the list include USC’s Porter Gustin, Northwestern’s Paddy Fisher and Nate Hall, Pitt’s Oluwaseun Idowu and Stanford’s Bobby Okereke.
Semi-finalists will be named October 29, finalists November 19, and winners will be notified on or before December 4.
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