PISCATAWAY, N.J. –
Olakunle Fatukasi represents Rutgers football as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award,
the Butkus Foundation announced Monday. The award honors the nation's best linebackers and includes 16 semifinalists at the collegiate level.
Fatukasi sits atop the Big Ten leaderboard after six weeks with 75 tackles (52 against run, 19 against pass, two sacks, one on special teams and one forcing a fumble), 14 more than any other player in the league. The 12.5 per game ranks fifth nationally. Fatukasi owns nine tackles-for-loss, including two sacks, to place second in the conference.
The New York native has five games this season with double-digit stops, posting a career-high 17 versus Michigan. The 75 tackles are the most by a Scarlet Knight through six games since Brian Sheridan totaled 83 in the first six games of the 1997 season.
Fatukasi earned the Bednarik Award National Player of the Week and Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after collecting 10 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in the season-opening win at Michigan State.
Fatukasi is one of two Big Ten linebackers to earn a spot as a Butkus Award semifinalist. Finalists will be announced Dec. 7.
Coming off a 37-30 victory at Purdue, Rutgers is back in action Saturday versus Penn State, presented by Provident Bank.
Kickoff is scheduled for noon on FS1.
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