CHICAGO, Ill. – Cal senior inside linebacker Evan Weaver was announced Monday as a semifinalist for the 35th annual Butkus Award®. The nation's top 12 collegiate and 15 high school linebackers were revealed in the announcement made by the Butkus Foundation. Finalists in both divisions will be announced November 25 with the winners revealed on or before December 10.

The selections are handled by a panel of 51 coaches, recruiters, scouts and journalists who vote separately and confidentially using a 3-2-1 process, with a write-in option offered. Selectors and selection criteria are posted at thebutkusaward.com.

Below are notes on Weaver with an extended bio available by clicking on his name.
 
Evan Weaver, ILB, 6-3, 245, Sr., 3L, Spokane, WA (Gonzaga Prep)
Senior (2019)
• A national honors candidate who has racked up a slew of recognition as a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, semifinalist for the Butkus Award and Chuck Bednarik Award, quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, and on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
• Also named a first-team midseason All-American in nearly unanimous fashion by the Associated Press, Athlon Sports, CBS Sports, ESPN, The Athletic and USA Today
• Named the midseason leading candidate for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors and a first-team All-Pac-12 selection by the Bay Area News Group
• Leads the nation in total tackles (127), total tackles per game (15.9), solo tackles (69) and solo tackles per game (8.6)
• On pace for 191 tackles in a 12-game season and 206 in a 13-game campaign with the current NCAA record for total tackles in a season 193 set in 14 contests by Lawrence Flugence of Texas Tech in 2002 and the most in a 12-game campaign 191 by Luke Kuechly in 2011, while Cal's school record is 167 set by Hardy Nickerson in 1985
• Has added 7.5 tackles for loss (-31 yards) to rank tied for seventh in the Pac-12, 2.5 sacks (-19 yards), his first three career forced fumbles to co-lead the Pac-12 and rank tied for ninth nationally, two pass breakups and a career-high four quarterback hurries
• Has combined with Kuony Deng (80 tackles) to form the nation's leading FBS duo with 207 tackles and 25.9 stops per game with the duo on a pace for 311 tackles in a 12-game season and 336 in a 13-game campaign to break the school record for tackles by a duo of 307 set in 2018 by Weaver and Jordan Kunaszyk
• Has twice equaled Kunaszyk for the most tackles in a single game in Cal's recorded history when he had a career-high-tying 22 at Ole Miss and at Utah
 
Cal Career (2016 – Present)
• Has played in 44 of 45 possible games with 26 starts since his arrival at Cal in 2016 including each of the last 21 contests over the past two seasons and posted career totals of 357 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss (-83 yards), 8.5 sacks (-54 yards), two interceptions that he has returned for 47 yards and one touchdown on a career-long 37-yard return against Washington as a 2018 junior, three forced fumbles, 10 pass breakups, 12 passes defended and five quarterback hurries
• Cal's active career leader in tackles and fourth on the school's all-time list
• Third in career tackles nationally among all active FBS players
• Has recorded double-digit tackles in 14 of his last 15 games and had a streak of 12 straight contests with double-digit tackles that included the final seven games of his 2018 junior season and first five contests of his 2019 senior campaign