Irish Commits Make 2018 High School Butkus Award Watchlist
The Butkus Award Watchlist for the high school version of the award has been released and features multiple 2019 Irish commits.
Defensive end NaNa Osafo-Mensah of Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic, Charlotte Providence Day linebacker Osita Ekwonu and Royal Center (Ind.) Pioneer linebacker Jack Kiser were the Notre Dame representatives heading into their senior campaign. In total, 51 players were named to the watchlist.
Osafo-Mensah recorded 111 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and three sacks during his junior year and will play in the 2019 All-American Bowl.
According to MaxPreps, Ekwonu recorded 73 total tackles and two sacks in his first 11 games last season. Kiser made 100 tackles including 7.5 for loss and eight interceptions while leading Pioneer to a Class A state title in 2017.
Notre Dame freshman linebacker Bo Bauer was one of the five finalists for the 2017 award.
Irish 2019 rover target Tristan Sinclair of Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley was also part of the 2018 watchlist.
Here is the mission statement from the Butkus Award website:
"Instituted in 1985, The Butkus Award® is one of the elite individual honors in college football. In 2008, The Butkus Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, took stewardship of the award to fully realize the original purpose of honoring athletic achievement and service to the community while honoring the nation’s best high school, college, and professional linebackers. An independent Butkus Award Selection Committee comprised of 51 experts, including professional, college and high school scouts, and prominent sports journalists, conduct the selection process."
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_CoachD, @BGI_DMcKinney and @BGI_CoreyBodden.
• Like us on Facebook.