BATON ROUGE – LSU football senior Deion Jones and junior Kendell Beckwith earned spots as two of the 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award that goes to the nation’s top linebacker each season, the Butkus Foundation announced Monday.
LSU was the only school to have two linebackers make the list of semifinalists.
Beckwith and Jones are tied for the team lead with 51 tackles apiece for an LSU defense that ranks among the nation’s best.
Both have played a big role in stopping the run where LSU ranks sixth in the nation, only giving up 93.7 yards a game on the ground.
Beckwith has racked up 5.0 tackles for a loss along with one pass breakup, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble.
Jones, in his first year as a starter, has accumulated 6.0 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, five quarterback hurries and two interceptions, including one he returned 26 yards for a touchdown versus Eastern Michigan.
No. 4 LSU (7-0, 4-0 SEC) heads to Tuscaloosa, Ala., this week to take on No. 7 Alabama (7-1, 4-1) in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on CBS.
2015 Butkus Award Semifinalists
Name, School
Kendell Beckwith, LSU
Su’a Cravens, USC
Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
Leonard Floyd, Georgia
Deion Jones, LSU
Blake Martinez, Stanford
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State
Antonio Morrison, Florida
Reggie Ragland, Alabama
Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame