Two South Carolina football linebackers named to Butkus Award preseason watch list

As college football season approaches, team rankings and preseason award lists are dominating the headlines from a national perspective. A large number of South Carolina football players have been included on these lists, and the latest pair of Gamecocks to receive some preseason love were announced on Tuesday.

The Dick Butkus Award, the honor bestowed upon the country's top linebacker, announced its 2024 preseason watch list, and veterans Debo Williams and Demetrius Knight were included.

The Butkus Award is named after College Football Hall of Fame member and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus who played for the Illinois Fighting Illini and Chicago Bears and is considered one of the best few defensive players ever to play the game.

The Gamecock linebacker duo of Williams and Knight are 2 of the 51 players who made the watch list. The list includes both traditional linebackers and some stand-up EDGE players who spend much of their time on the field as an outside linebacker.

Both Williams and Knight were all-conference players in 2023. Williams made the All-SEC squad and was among the leading tacklers in the league. Knight was an All-Conference USA performer with the Charlotte 49ers before transferring to Columbia this offseason.

For Williams, the middle linebacker position is his home. He is one of the best run-stoppers in the conference and has been working hard this offseason to become better in coverage. 2023 was his first year as a starter as he was a depth piece in 2021 after transferring in from Delaward and became a rotational player in 2022. Williams is also on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, an award given to the nation's top defensive player.

Knight began his career with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and after transitioning from quarterback to linebacker, he elected to transfer to Charlotte for a better opportunity. He made the most of it, logging nearly 100 tackles. He is the heaviest full-time 'backer on the roster but has really nice speed for the position, so he can play any of the linebacker positions this fall.

Williams is a clear starter for this season, and Knight will be major contributor (either as a starter or a heavily-used rotational piece). They are joined by Pittsburgh Panthers transfer Bangally Kamara and returning veteran Bam Martin-Scott as the projected top-4 at the position. Mo Kaba, a player coming off back-to-back ACL tears, could factor into things if healthy, and freshmen Fred "JayR" Johnson and Wendell Gregory were 4-star prospects. Former walk-on Ronnie Porter was just put on scholarship this weekend, as well.