The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 16/16/17 Football’s Hill Jr. tabbed Butkus Award finalist
11.25.2025 | Football
The junior linebacker is one of five finalists for the award.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 16/16/17 Texas Football junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was named one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, the Butkus Foundation announced Tuesday. The award annually recognizes the nation's top linebacker.
Hill is the first Longhorn finalist since Sergio Kindle in 2009. Derrick Johnson won the award in 2004 after being a finalist for it in 2003.
Other finalists for this year's award include Georgia's C.J. Allen, Indiana's Aiden Fisher, Ohio State's Arvell Reese and Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez.
In addition to the Butkus Award, Hill is also a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is presented annually to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995.
The third-year player has played in 40 career games with 32 starts. Through 10 games in 2025, Hill has compiled a team-high 69 total tackles (37 solo) and three forced fumbles. He ranks second on the squad in tackles for loss (7.0), sacks (4.0) and interceptions (two). He has the third-most quarterback pressures on the team with five. Hill's three forced fumbles rank second in the SEC and 11th in the FBS.
Hill did not play in Texas' 52-37 win vs. Arkansas on Nov. 22 due to injury. On the road at No. 5/5/5 Georgia, Hill compiled six tackles (three solo), a 0.5 tackle for loss and an interception. Against No. 9/11 Vanderbilt on Nov. 1, Hill registered four tackles (three solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. After his performance against Mississippi State on Oct. 25, Hill was named the Chuck Bednarik Player of the Week, Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Hill led the Longhorns with career highs of 2.5 sacks and four pressures and matched his career high in tackles for loss with four, to go along with a forced fumble and a double-digit tackle total of 10. In the road win at Kentucky on Oct. 18, Hill led UT in tackles with 12 (eight solo) along with an interception and a quarterback hurry. Hill notched seven tackles (four solo) in Texas' win against No. 6/6 Oklahoma on Oct. 11. Hill was Texas' leading tackler vs. Florida on Oct. 4, notching a career-high 14 tackles with a 21-yard fumble return. In the Longhorns' home opener vs. San Jose State on Sept. 6, Hill registered six tackles (five solo) and a career-high two forced fumbles.
Behind Hill's leadership, Texas' defense ranks third in the FBS in sacks (3.36), sixth in 4th down conversion percentage defense (0.333), sixth in opponent yards per rush attempt (2.8), eighth in rushing defense (92.7), 10th in opponent rushing first downs per game (6.1), 11th in opponent red zone scoring attempts per game (2.5), 15th in opponent red zone scores per game (2.1), 17th in opponents points per play (0.281) and 19th in opponent yards per play (4.7).
The 51-member Butkus Award selection committee will select top linebackers using a 3-2-1 weighted vote with a write-in option. Winners will be named by Dec. 10, with the pro winner selected early 2026.
A Butkus Award celebration featuring the 2025 winners is planned Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois, where the Award's namesake the late Dick Butkus established his legendary career. The celebration will be featured in the Butkus Award special airing on the Big Ten Network in February 2025. More information will be at available www.butkusfoundation.org.
Hill and the Longhorns welcome the No. 3/3/3 Texas A&M Aggies to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium for the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown at 6:30 p.m. CT Friday, Nov. 28. The game will broadcast on ABC with Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy and Molly McGrath on the call.
