RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Two Tennessee linebackers Amare Campbell and Arion Carter were named to the Butkus Award preseason watch list.
The award is in its 42nd season and is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate linebacker. The Butkus Foundation released the watch list on Thursday.
Campbell and Carter were two of 51 players to make the list for the award. Tennessee is one of eight programs to have multiple selections, joining Colorado , LSU , Georgia , Indiana, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Campbell enters his first season with the Vols after transferring from Penn State in 2025. He led the Nittany Lions in tackles and was a starting linebacker under now Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Campbell earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors last season from the media. He was also named preseason Second-Team All-SEC by Athlon and Phil Steele.
Campbell started all 13 games for Penn State last season. He was the sixth-leading tackler in the Big Ten (103). The first-year Vol recorded 9.5 tackles for a loss, four quarterback hurries, three sacks and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.
A two-year player at North Carolina before transferring to Penn State, Campbell has appeared in 37 career games, including 27 starts.
Carter returns for his senior season with the Vols. He led the SEC in tackles per game last year despite battling a foot injury throughout much of the season. Carter appeared in 10 games, including nine starts, recording 7.6 tackles per contest. He earned 2026 Preseason Third-Team All-America honors from the media, Athlon and Phil Steele.
Carter is also on the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List. He totaled six tackles for a loss, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 2025.
Carter has appeared in 31 career games, including 22 starts. He has recorded 161 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, five quarterback hurries, nine pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Butkus Award semifinalists will be announced Oct. 28. Finalists are scheduled to be announced Nov. 20 and a winner will be revealed Dec. 20.
More: Arion Carter discusses returning to Tennessee for senior season
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Tennessee linebackers named to Butkus Award watch list
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