Clemson football will be well represented on the 2025 preseason Butkus Award watch list after junior linebacker Wade Woodaz and true freshman linebacker Sammy Brown appeared on the Butkus Award candidate list.
The Butkus Award is given every year to the best college linebacker in the country. That the Tigers’ linebacking unit was considered by a veteran and highly-talented recruit is an indication of the unit’s talent and personnel depth.
Wade Woodaz: Veteran Presence
A jack-of-all-trades defender who has lined up at linebacker and safety, Woodaz has been a steady production machine for the Tigers since his 2022 enrollment. In 39 games (18 starts), he has notched 140 hits, 21.5 losses and 8.5 sacks, nine pass breakups, three interceptions (TD on one), four fumble forces, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt.
Head Coach Dabo Swinney has also praised Woodaz’s style of play. “He’s a baller,” said Swinney. “He’s fun to coach and fun to watch play because he plays the way you want everyone to play.”
Sammy Brown: Rising Sophomore
Brown is a sophomore looking to live up to a brilliant freshman year. The former Butkus Award winner in high school announced his presence immediately in coming to Clemson as a member of the 2024 recruiting class. As a freshman, Brown was the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and received Freshman All-American recognition from various publications. In 14 games, Brown recorded 87 tackles with 11.5 of them being for losses and contributed five sacks and four pass breakups. His 87 tackles became the most for a Clemson freshman since Anthony Simmons’ legendary 1995 season. Brown also became just the seventh true freshman in school history to record double-digit tackles for losses.
Clemson and the Butkus Award
Clemson has a long history with the Butkus Award. In 2019, former Tiger Isaiah Simmons brought the award home after a phenomenal season in which he played all spots for the Clemson defense.
The preseason watch list will be narrowed to a semifinalist group in November and the winner will be announced in December.
