STILLWATER – The Dick Butkus Award is given away at the end of each college football season to the best linebacker in the nation. It is one of my favorite awards and it is one that I believe has a lot of integrity. Now, Oklahoma State’s starting linebacker Ethan Wesloski is one of 51 players named on the Butkus Watch List on Thursday (Aug. 13) by the Butkus Foundation. The award (42nd this year)is given in honor of one of the all-time greats in both college and pro football as Dick Butkus was an All-American center and linebacker at Illinois and went on to become one of the best at the position in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. Butkus is in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wesloski is one of 12 Big 12 players on the watch list for the honor, presented each year to the nation's top collegiate linebacker. The other Big 12 watch list members include Texas Tech’s Ben Roberts and Austin Romaine, Taye Brown of Arizona, BYU’s Cade Uluave, Trey Lathan of Kansas, and Arizona State’s Owen Long.
Wesloski, who transferred to Oklahoma State from North Texas in 2026, was an all-conference selection in 2025. Had a breakout season as a junior, leading the team with 113 tackles and playing in all 14 games.
He finished the year ranked second in the American Conference in total tackles and solo tackles and led American Conference linebackers in the overall defensive and coverage grades from Pro Football Focus.
Semifinalists for the 2026 Butkus Award will be announced October 28, finalists on November 20 and the winner will be revealed during the week of December 7. Selection is based on performance throughout the season, and appearance on the preseason watch list is not required for a player to win the award.
