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College football award watch list SZN continues, as Wolverine seniors Khaleke Hudson and Josh Uche made the watch list for the Dick Butkus Award for the nation’s best linebacker.
Josh Uche joins him on the Butkus Award Watch List!
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) July 22, 2019
In 2018, he made 15 tackles, eight of which were credited as a TFL. He will use his speed and power off the edge to provide a versatile pass-rush option for the U-M defense, a unit which led the #B1G in 5 categories. @_Uche35 pic.twitter.com/xVPWjKbCL7
Hudson is coming off a down year, at least in a statistical sense. After missing four quarters of games due to targeting penalties, Hudson finished the 2018 season with 44 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Meanwhile, Uche had a breakout campaign in 2018. Playing in 12 games, he compiled only 15 tackles, but eight of those tackles were for a loss. He also had seven sacks. He
We already know Hudson will be a huge part of Michigan’s defense for the third straight season, but Uche should also be a vital part in 2019. Uche was essentially a pass-rush specialist last season, coming into the game on third downs. One would imagine he would have more responsibilities this year than rushing after the quarterback.
You can see the full list here.