The Penn State football team has carried the nickname “LBU” aka linebacker university for many years due to how many great linebackers have come through the program. LaVar Arrington, Navarro Bowman, Dan Connor, Sean Lee, Paul Posluszny… you get the point. But as the 2023 season inches closer to being here, that strong tradition remains at Penn State. Led by the veteran Curtis Jacobs and the rising star Abdul Carter, both players have high expectations and both have been added to the Butkus Award Watch List.
Abdul Carter & Curtis Jacobs continue the LBU legacy at Penn State
Curtis Jacobs found his stride during the 2021 season and by week 3 of the 2022 season Abdul Carter was a force to be wrecked with. Now Jacobs and Carter are hopeful one of the two players can secure the Butkus Award this fall.
The Butkus Award was first given out in 1985 and every year the award is won by the nation’s most impactful linebacker in college football. In 2022 it was Iowa’s Jack Campbell who won the Butkus Award, but the Nittany Lions are hopeful the award can be brought back to State College, PA after the 2023 season. Previous Nittany Lion linebackers who have won the award include LaVar Arrington back in 1999 and Paul Posluszny in 2005.
The 2022 season was massive for Jacobs and Carter
The duo of Jacobs and Carter finished second and third in tackles during the 2022 season. Carter finished the season with 56 tackles and 6.5 sacks showing off his versatility by blitzing and rushing the passer off the edge. But one of the best pieces of news the Penn State football team received this offseason was that Curtis Jacobs will return to the Nittany Lions for the 2023 season. He had the opportunity to go to the NFL but wanted to come back to solidify his draft stock.
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