NC State’s Payton Wilson Wins the Butkus Award

NC State Linebacker Payton Wilson was named the winner of the 2023 Butkus Award tonight. The Butkus Award has been awarded to the best Linebacker in college football since 1985.

Wilson beat the following finalists:

Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State

Wilson becomes the first player in NC State history to win the Butkus Award. Levar Fisher was a semifinalist in 2001.

Wilson eclipsed the 400-career tackle mark in the final week of the regular season, just one of five active FBS players to achieve the feat. Throughout his storied career for the Wolfpack, Wilson has accumulated stats that rank him inside the top 10 of active FBS players in total tackles, tackles per game, solo tackles, solo tackles per game, assisted tackles, assisted tackles-for-loss, total tackles-for-loss, and tackles-for-loss per game.  

Wilson leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally this season with 138 tackles and an average of 11.5 tackles per game and has tallied the most total tackles for a Wolfpack player in a single season since Earl Wolff had 145 in 2012. (ACC)