With 3 games remaining in the regular season, Washington linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio has been named a finalist for The Butkus Award®. The award is one of the most coveted national awards in college football. Annually, it is given to one player in college football: the most impactful linebacker in the game. There were 51 linebackers on its watchlist before.
This season’s award will have special meaning as Butkus died earlier this season at the age of 80.
Former Washington Ben Burr-Kirven was a finalist for the award following his 2018 All-American season, finishing second.
Ulofohio has produced one of the more intriguing stories, going from the 2,969th-best player in the and bet on himself, walking on at Washington before the 2018 season.
Before the season he said that his preparation was going to be like he was a walk-on, beating everyone into the training facility.
He came back just in time to snuff out Oregon’s final treat last season on 4th down in Eugene. Last season he saw spot duty late in the season, notably the face that greeted Oregon RB Noah Whittington on “the slip.” That afternoon against the Ducks, the former All-American had six tackles including being credited with the 4th down stop that gave Washington the ball in Ducks’ territory with under two minutes remaining in the game.
On that play, from his left inside linebacker position a fraction of a second before the snap, he can be seen slightly creeping up to the line of scrimmage, measuring the QB’s response. With a wide split from his rush end spot, Sav’ell Smalls drew Oregon’s right tackle wide, and Ulofoshio knifed through the hole, avoiding the right guard’s block and getting into the Ducks’ backfield, forcing Whittington to lose his footing.
That play showed Ulofoshio’s instincts that had him named as a 2021 Preseason First-Team All-America by Pro Football Focus. He was well on his way to backing up the accolade by registering double-digit tackles in three games. Then, six games in, his season was derailed by an arm injury.
After successful surgery, he appeared to be in position to reclaim his old spot. However, a knee injury kept him sidelined for the first eight games of 2022. Finally able to roll rejoined his teammates against Oregon State as he began to work himself into game shape for the matchup in Eugene.
Now, he’s back at the top as the Pac-12 Conference’s top-rated LBs, according to Pro Football Focus. The fi
