AUSTIN In the discussion of college football’s top linebackers, Anthony Hill Jr. has officially been treated with contempt.
The five contenders for the Dick Butkus Award, which is presented annually to the top linebacker in Division I, did not include the Texas Longhorns sophomore standout.
Danny Stutsman of Oklahoma, Kyle Louis of Pitt, Chris Paul Jr. of Ole Miss, Barrett Carter of Clemson, and Carson Schwesinger of UCLA. Hill Jr.’s numbers were obviously superior to those of the rest of the field, with the exception of Louis and Schwesinger.
Hill Jr. has 79 total stops (38 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one interception going into Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Texas A&M Aggies. His forced fumble and sack marks are both more.
The head of the country’s third-leading scoring defense (12.1 points), Hill Jr. has established himself as a star during his second season but somehow got blatantly overlooked as a potential finalist.
But awards aside, Hill Jr. has got bigger aspirations than the five finalists this season, something he talked about when meeting with the media Monday.
“I’m a little disappointed,” Hill Jr. said. “But I mean, at the end of the day, they’re all elite players. So I’m just gonna get ready to win a championship. That’s what my mind’s on. It’s just winning a championship for this team.”
Aside from Carter and Clemson, the rest of the four finalists won’t be making it to the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff this season.
Hill Jr. and Texas will have a chance to essentially lock up a CFP spot with a win over Texas A&M on Saturday, regardless of what would happen in a potential Texas-Georgia matchup in the SEC Championship.
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