The Butkus Award 2017 High School Watch List is out. The award spotlights the nation’s best linebackers.
Heading the list is Palaie Gaoteote of Bishop Gorman (Nevada), who is considered the top linebacker prospect in the Class of 2018, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. Gaoteote, who has given his verbal to USC, is considered the No. 9 overall college football prospect in the nation.
Below is the complete list, which features 51 players in honor of Butkus’ No. 51 that he wore.
- Adyodele Adeoye, Ritenour – St. Louis, MO
- Brian Asamoah, St. Francis DeSales – Columbus, OH
- Chad Bailey, Ridge Point – Missouri City, TX
- Kenny Batisda, Deerfield Beach – Deerfield Beach, FL
- Matthew Bauer, Cathedral Prep School – Erie, PA
- Dan Bolden, Colerain High – Cincinnati, OH
- Nick Bonitto, St. Thomas Aquinas – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Bo Calvert, Oaks Christian – Westlake Village, CA
- Andrew Chatfield, American Heritage – Plantation, FL
- Damone Clark, Souththern Lab – Baton Rouge, LA
- Vinny DePalma, De Paul Catholic – Wayne, NJ
- Justice Dingle, Bowling Green – Bowling Green, KY
- Dillon Doyle, West Senior – Iowa City, IA
- Dallas Gant, St. John’s – Toledo, OH
- Palaie Gaoteote, Bishop Gorman – Las Vegas, NV
- Javar Garret, Peddie School – Hightstown, NJ
- Donovan Georges, Champagnat Catholi – Hialeah, FL
- Eriq Gilyard, Trinity Christian Academy – Jacksonville, FL
- Dax Hollifield, Shelby – Shelby, NC
- Adrian Jackson, Mullen – Denver, CO
- Khalid Jones, James Byrnes High – Duncan, SC
- Mike Jones Jr., IMG Academy – Bradenton, FL
- Brandon Kaho, Reno – Reno, NV
- Jack Lamb, Great Oak – Temecula, CA
- Rosendo Louis, Deerfield Beach – Deerfield Beach, FL
- Jesse Luketa, Mercyhurst Prep – Erie, PA
- Abdul-Malik McClain, JSerra Catholic – San Juan Capistrano, CA
- Cameron McGrone, Lawrence Central – Indianapolis, IN
- Teradja Mitchell, Bishop Sullivan – Virginia Beach, VA
- Durell Nchami, Paint Branch – Burtonsville, MD
- Chris Oats, Winton Woods – Cincinnati, OH
- Ovie Oghoufo, Harrison – Farmington Hills, MI
- Xavier Peters, Lakota West – West Chester, OH
- J.J. Peterson, Colquitt County – Norman Park, GA
- Bumper Pool, Lovejoy – Lucas, TX
- K’Vaughan Pope, Dinwiddie County High – Dinwiddie, VA
- Tennessee Pututau, Cottonwood – Salt Lake City, UT
- Merlin Robertson, Junipero Serra – Gardena, CA
- Jack Sanborn, Lake Zurich – Lake Zurich, IL
- Raymond Scott, Narbonne – Harbor City, CA
- Shayne Simon, St. Peter’s Prep – Jersey City, NJ
- Jackson Sirmon, Brentwood Academy – Nashville, TN
- DeAndre Square, Cass Tech – Detroit, MI
- Nick Tarburton, Pennridge Upper – Perkasie, PA
- Channing Tindall, Spring Valley – Columbia, SC
- Alan Tisdale, Page – Greensboro, NC
- Solomon Tuliaupupu, Mater Dei – Santa Ana, CA
- Jake Venables, D.W. Daniel – Central, SC
- Quay Walker, Crisp County – Cordele, GA
- Quin Williams, Morgan County – Madison, GA
- Eli’Jah Winston, Central Catholic – Portland, OR
Florida has the most players on the list with seven.
Semifinalists will be named October 30, finalists on November 20th and the winner will be announced in early December.
IMG Academy’s (Florida) Dylan Moses, who is now at Alabama, won the award last year.
