UNC Football: Cedric Gray named to Butkus Award Watchlist

UNC Football senior linebacker Cedric Gray has been named to the Butkus Award Watchlist for the upcoming 2023 football season.

The UNC football program has seen several players earn honors on pre-season watchlists across the country for their respective positions. Now, 23 days from kickoff, another player has earned their name on a watchlist.

Cedric Gray has been one of 51 players named to the Butkus Award preseason watchlist.

Gray was third in the nation in total tackles in 2022, and was first among power five linebackers, with 144 total tackles. He has seen several pre-season honors already, being named to the 2023 Preseason All-ACC Football team.

Gray has also seen recognition this offseason from Pro Football Focus by first being named to a list of draft-eligible linebackers “names to know” and then being listed in the top five linebackers for the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Butkus Award was created in 1985 and named after famous linebacker Dick Butkus. You can learn more about the Butkus Award by clicking here. To view the list of the players nominated for this year’s Award, click here.

For the UNC football defense, Tar Heel fans know just how valuable and important Gray is to the success of this year’s team. He is essentially the quarterback of the defense and can move all over the field.

The defense is hoping to take a massive step in the right direction after being looked at as mediocre in 2022 and a major weak spot for a team that was 9-1 through 10 games last season.

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