Just a couple months ago, it was unclear whether Arden Key would even be on the LSU football team this fall.
Now, he's not only back with the Tigers, he's on the Butkus Award watch list, which is given to college football's top linebacker each year. Key ended a leave of absence from the team last month, and won't be ready for the start of fall camp while he recovers from shoulder surgery. He is an edge pass rusher for the Tigers who set a school record last year with 12 sacks in only 11 games. LSU coach Ed Orgeron said last week at SEC Media Days that he believes Key could be better than former Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett, who was drafted No. 1 overall in April by the Cleveland Browns.
Other notable players on the Butkus Award watch list: USC's Porter Gustin, Texas' Malik Jefferson, Iowa's Josey Jewell and Washington's Azeem Victor. There are 51 players in all; Butkus wore No. 51 for the Chicago Bears, one of 14 jersey numbers retired by the club.
The Butkus Award, named for Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus, has produced a long line of prized draft picks. The last 15 Butkus Award winners have been selected in the first or second round of the draft, including C.J. Mosley, Luke Kuechly, Von Miller and Patrick Willis. Last year's winner was Alabama's Reuben Foster, a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers.
The complete Butkus Award watch list:
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Genard Avery, Memphis
Jerome Baker, Ohio State
Davin Bellamy, Georgia
Keishawn Bierria, Washington
Eric Boggs, Appalachian State
Oren Burks, Vanderbilt
Jason Cabinda, Penn State
Lorenzo Carter, Georgia
Jermaine Carterq, Maryland
Jack Cichy, Wisconsin
Koron Crump, Arizona State
Nick DeLuca, North Dakota State
Devante Downs, California
Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin
Rashaan Evans, Alabama
DeMarquis Gates, Mississippi
Dre Greenlaw, Arkansas
Shaquem Griffin, UCF
Porter Gustin, USC
Shaun Dion Hamilton, Alabama
James Hearns, Louisville
Manase Hungalu, Oregon State
Malik Jefferson, Texas
Josey Jewell, Iowa
Jordan Jones, Kentucky
Kendall Joseph, Clemson
Junior Joseph, UConn
Peter Kalambayi, Stanford
Arden Key, LSU
Micah Kiser, Virginia
Darius Leonard, South Carolina State
Mike McCray, Michigan
Skai Moore, South Carolina
Airius Moore, North Carolina State
Nyles Morgan, Notre Dame
Uchenna Nwosu, USC
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma
D.J. Palmore, Navy
Jacob Pugh, Florida State
Shaquille Quarterman, Miami (Fla.)
Tegray Scales, Indiana
Cameron Smith, USC
Sione Teuhema, Southeastern Lousiana
Matthew Thomas, Florida State
Azeem Victor, Washington
Fred Warner, BYU
Tre' Williams, Auburn
Chris Worley, Ohio State
Trevon Young, Louisville
Kenny Young, UCLA
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
