The 2020 high school Butkus Award watch list (given annually to the nation's best linebacker) was recently released, and the Michigan Wolverines' football program was well-represented on it (to say the least).
U-M has four linebackers committed — Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood four-star Junior Colson, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star Jaydon Hood, Bolingbrook (Ill.) High three-star Tyler McLaurin and Dedham (Mass.) Noble and Greenough School three-star Casey Phinney — in its 2021 recruiting class, and all four made the 51-member watch list.
The fact that Colson made the cut was not surprising in the least, seeing as how he's rated as the No. 83 overall player nationally and is the fourth-highest rated commit in Michigan's entire 2021 class.
McLaurin's and Hood's inclusions weren't surprising either (despite both of them being three-stars), especially when considering they each play in talent-rich areas and hold other impressive Power Conference offers.
The fact that Phinney made the list, however, was a bit of an eye-opener. The 6-1, 228-pounder is viewed as an under-the-radar prospect on the East Coast, with his only other listed FBS offer coming from Massachusetts.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh's 2021 recruiting class currently sits at No. 6 in the country, with Ohio State, Tennessee, USC, Oregon and Florida (in that order) residing as the only classes that are better.
It's also worth noting that only one linebacker from the state of Michigan made the Butkus Award watch list — Belleville High four-star Jamari Buddin, who pledged to Penn State last week.
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