The preseason award watch lists continues to release as we head into the new week. Veteran linebacker, Micah Baskerville, was named to the 2022 Butkus Award watch list. Baskerville will look to be the leader of the linebacker core with the exit of Damone Clark. He will have big shoes to fill as Clark asserted himself as one of the top linebackers in LSU history. Baskerville announced that he was returning to LSU and enter his fifth year with the program:
“I am going to come back, graduate, and help Coach Kelly and the rest of the staff get the Tigers back to where we’re supposed to be at-at the top.”
The Butkus Award has released its preseason collegiate watch list, tabbing 51 standout linebackers to watch: https://t.co/YAxuBGkbud pic.twitter.com/UvEJ8cqikj
— NCFAA (@ncfaa) July 25, 2022
Baskerville is entering his fifth year with the Tigers and should be the leader of the LSU defense heading into the 2022 season. In his freshman season in 2018, Baskerville saw a lot of playing time. Baskerville played in eight games, with one start.
The Shreveport native would appear in twelve games in 2019 seeing action at linebacker and at special teams. He would start to see an uptick in starts during the 2020 season when Baskerville started in seven games. Baskerville had three double-digit tackle games–12 at Texas A&M, 11 vs. Ole Miss and 10 at Auburn.
Baskerville would have a breakout season in 2021. In 12 games with the Tigers, he would record a career high 83 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, four passes defended and an interception. Baskerville will look to continue that momentum as the Tigers will be under new leadership with defensive coordinator, Matt House.
The Butkus Award awards the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. The watch list features 51 linebackers, with the SEC leading all conferences with 12 representatives. The last LSU player to win the Butkus Award honors was back in 2018 when Devin White took home the hardware.