Two more preseason award watch lists were announced on Monday, and three University of Alabama football student-athletes were chosen as candidates. The duo of Dylan Moses and Shane Lee were named to the Dick Butkus Award list, while Patrick Surtain II was recognized for the Jim Thorpe Award watch list.
All three individuals are talented and expect to get the Crimson Tide back to winning national championships; however, did the program have a player snubbed from the Butkus Award list?
As productive as Christian Harris was last season, the Baton Rouge (La.) native was not named among the 51 candidates for the honor that goes to college football’s most outstanding linebacker. A four-star prospect in the 2019 signing class, Harris stood among the team leaders for total tackles (63, No. 4), tackles for loss (7.5, No. 3) and quarterback pressures (five, tied for 3rd) while posting one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 13 games.
The 6-foot-2, 244-pounder led all freshmen defenders in the Southeastern Conference in the tackles for loss department, and ended last year with SEC All-Freshman team and Freshman All-American honors. His consistent growth each week led to Alabama finishing in the top-20 nationally for scoring defense (18.6 ppg, No. 13) and total defense (324.6 ypg, No. 20).
RELATED: Alabama CB Patrick Surtain named to Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
When it comes to the linebacker position, Harris is one of the most exciting young talents returning to college football. Nick Saban thought enough of him to start him at weakside linebacker, but now Harris must prove to the Butkus Foundation that he is the real deal.
Since 1985, the group of Derrick Thomas (1988), Rolando McClain (2009), C.J. Mosley (2013) and Reuben Foster (2016) all represent Alabama football as winners of the Butkus Award.
In terms of the Jim Thorpe Award, both Antonio Langham (1993) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (2017) earned the award presented to the nation’s top defensive back.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
