The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
07.20.2020 | Football
Junior JACK Joseph Ossai led the Longhorns in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks last season.
CHICAGO – Texas Football junior JACK Joseph Ossai was named to the 2020 Butkus Award preseason watch list on Monday. The Butkus Award is presented annually to the top linebacker in college football.
Longhorn Legend Derrick Johnson previously won the award in 2004 and was also a finalist in 2003, as was Sergio Kindle in 2009.
Ossai, a Conroe, Texas native, is a third-year JACK who has played in 27 career games with 15 starts. Last season, he started all 13 games and led the Longhorns in total tackles (90), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (5.0). Ossai also registered two interceptions, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one blocked kick. He made at least eight tackles on eight occasions last year, the second-most by a Longhorn in a single season over the last 20 years (9 – Emmanuel Acho, 2011). Three times Ossai made at least nine tackles, including a career-high 10 (five solo) on the road against TCU. He capped his season by earning Defensive MVP honors in the Valero Alamo Bowl after registering nine tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks against No. 11 Utah. His three sacks were the most by a Longhorn in a bowl game since Alex Okafor's school-record 4.5 during the 2012 Alamo Bowl. Ossai is the only FBS player over the last 20 seasons to record at least six tackles for loss and three sacks in a bowl game. It also marked his second-straight bowl game with at least eight tackles, making him one of only four Longhorns to do so in consecutive bowl games since 2000.
In addition to the Butkus Award, Ossai has been recognized by the Lott IMPACT Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award preseason watch lists and was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team last week.
The Butkus Award will announce its semifinalists on Nov. 2, finalists on Nov. 23 and the winner will be unveiled on or before Dec. 8.
