On November 6th, the 12 semifinalists were announced for the 2023 Butkus Award, which is awarded annually to the best Linebacker in College Football. NC State’s Payton Wilson was 1 of 12 selected.

No Wolfpack player has ever won the Butkus Award. Levar Fisher was also a semifinalist in 2001.

When you compare Wilson to the other 11 semifinalists, where does he stack up? Is he the best Linebacker in the nation?

Below you will find a statistical comparison of all 12 semifinalists heading into Week 12.

Currently, Wilson has the 2nd highest PFF Grade behind Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter. He trails Trotter by a tenth of a point. Trotter also has 1 more tackle for loss and 0.5 more sacks, but Wilson has 41 more tackles.

Wilson has the 2nd most tackles behind Iowa’s Jay Higgins, who has 121. With that being said, Wilson beats him in every other category.

UNC’s Cedric Gray has one more solo stop than Wilson, but that’s really the only thing he has on him.

Just looking at numbers, and not looking at film, there is an extremely good case to be made that Wilson’s the most well rounded Linebacker of the 12 semifinalists, but there are still 3 games remaining.

Payton Wilson 

PFF Grade – 85.9
Tackles – 112 (53 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 12
Sacks – 4
Interceptions – 2
Pass Breakups – 6
Fumble Recoveries – 2
Fumbles Forced – 0
Touchdowns – 1

Jeremiah Trotter (Clemson)

PFF Grade – 86.4
Tackles – 71 (44 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 13
Sacks – 4.5
Interceptions – 2
Pass Breakups – 4
Forced Fumbles – 2
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 0

Edefuan Ulofoshio (Washington)

PFF Grade – 83.9
Tackles – 65 (45 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 4.5
Sacks – 2
Interceptions – 1
Pass Breakups – 1
Forced Fumbles – 1
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 1

Jay Higgins (Iowa)

PFF Grade – 83.7
Tackles – 121 (51 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 3.5
Sacks – 1
Interceptions – 1
Pass Breakups – 3
Forced Fumbles – 1
Fumble Recoveries – 1
Touchdowns – 0

Tommy Eichenberg (Ohio State)

PFF Grade – 63.2
Tackles – 73 (37 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 2.5
Sacks – 1
Interceptions – 0
Pass Breakups – 0
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Fumbles Forced – 1
Touchdowns – 0

Jaylan Ford (Texas)

PFF Grade – 66.8
Tackles – 74 (36 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 10
Sacks – 1
Interceptions – 2
Pass Breakups – 1
Fumble Recoveries – 1
Fumbles Forced – 1
Touchdowns – 0

Cedric Gray (UNC)

PFF Grade – 75.4
Tackles – 96 (54 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 10
Sacks – 4.5
Interceptions – 1
Pass Breakups – 3
Fumble Recoveries – 2
Forced Fumbles – 2
Touchdowns – 0

Ty’Ron Hopper (Missouri)

PFF Grade – 51.5
Tackles – 55 (36 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 6
Sacks – 3
Interceptions – 0
Pass Breakups – 3
Forced Fumbles – 0
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 0

Curtis Jacobs (Penn State)

PFF Grade – 65.8
Tackles – 43 (28 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 6.5
Sacks – 1
Interceptions – 0
Pass Breakups – 0
Forced Fumbles – 0
Fumble Recoveries – 2
Touchdowns – 0

Deontae Lawson (Alabama)

PFF Grade – 68.4
Tackles – 52 (22 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 3.5
Sacks – 2
Interceptions – 0
Pass Breakups – 2
Forced Fumbles –  0
Fumble Recoveries – 0
Touchdowns – 0

Marist Liufau (Notre Dame)

PFF Grade – 75.1
Tackles – 38 (21 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 3.5
Sacks – 2.5
Interceptions – 0
Pass Breakups – 2
Forced Fumbles – 1
Fumble Recoveries – 1
Touchdowns – 0

Nathaniel Watson (Mississippi St.)

PFF Grade – 68.7
Tackles – 95 (30 solo)
Tackles for Loss – 11
Sacks – 9
Interceptions – 1
Pass Breakups – 2
Forced Fumbles – 1
Fumble Recoveries – 2
Touchdowns – 0