Tennessee’s Jeremy Banks lands on Butkus Award watch list

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Redshirt senior Jeremy Banks is one of 51 players on the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, given each year to the nation’s top linebacker.

Banks led Tennessee and ranked second in the SEC in total tackles last season. His 128 tackles were the most by a Vol in a season since A.J. Johnson in 2012. The Cordova, Tennessee native logged six double-digit tackle performances, including six out of his last seven games of 2021.

No Tennessee player has ever won the Butkus Award. UT’s last finalist for the honor was Raynoch Thompson in 1999.

The SEC led all conferences with 12 players on the watch list.