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IOWA CITY -- University of Iowa fifth-year linebacker Jayden Montgomery has been named to the 2026 Butkus Award Watch List.
Montgomery is one of 51 linebackers named to the watch list this season -- a nod to the storied No. 51 jersey worn by the award's namesake, the late Dick Butkus, with the Chicago Bears. Candidates represent 42 colleges and universities.
Montgomery (5-foot-11, 227 pounds) saw action in all 13 games last season, including seven starts at linebacker, for Hawkeyes. He recorded 44 tackles, one tackle for loss, and two pass breakups. A three-time Coaches Appreciation Award honoree, Montgomery is one of eight seniors serving on the team's Leadership Council this season. The Suamico, Wis., native is also a candidate for the 2026 Wuerffel Trophy, which is college football's premier award for community service.
Butkus Award semifinalists are expected to be announced Oct. 28, with finalists named Nov. 20 and the winner revealed during the week of Dec. 7.
Iowa's Jack Campbell won the Butkus Award in 2022, while Larry Station finished second in the voting in 1985. Campbell was also the professional winner of the 2025 Butkus Award. Josey Jewell was a finalist in 2016, and the program has produced several semifinalists: Chad Greenway (2005), Jewell (2017), Campbell (2021), and Jay Higgins (2023, 2024).
The 51-member Butkus Award Selection Committee is comprised of coaches, professional scouts, former players, and members of the media from across the country. Committee members evaluate candidates using the same qualities that defined Dick Butkus throughout his career: instincts, toughness, leadership, competitiveness, football character, and consistent excellence at the linebacker position.