ORLANDO – UCF football linebacker Jahleel Culbreath has been named to the Butkus Award Watch List ahead of the 2026 campaign after a career-best season with Old Dominion a year ago.
The Butkus Foundation today announced the preseason watch list for the 42nd annual Butkus Award®, presented each year to the nation's top collegiate linebacker. The 51-player watch list honors Dick Butkus' iconic No. 51 jersey and recognizes the toughness, instincts, leadership, competitiveness, and football character that defined one of the greatest defensive players in football history.
Beginning his UCF career this season in The City Beautiful, Culbreath wrapped up his four-year tenure with Old Dominion with a resounding victory in Orlando,
Culbreath looks to pick up right where he left off last season, which ironically is in the same city where he begins his journey in 2026. The Virginia Beach, Va. native finished his four-year tenure at Old Dominion with a resounding 24-10 victory at the StaffDNA Cure Bowl in Orlando, capping a 10-win season for the Monarchs by beating South Florida in Camping World Stadium.
Culbreath finished 2025 with a career-high 71 tackles which ranked fourth on the Monarchs. He finished second on the team with nine tackles for loss and added three sacks in the process, also career highs. He tied a single-game career-high of nine tackles in the 21-7 victory over Liberty before finishing the campaign with five tackles and a tackle for loss in the Cure Bowl.
The 2026 watch list features 51 linebackers representing 42 colleges and universities from across the country. Returning All-Americans, All-Conference performers, and emerging defensive standouts from across the Football Bowl Subdivision are among this year's candidates.
The Butkus Award remains one of college football's most respected individual honors, recognizing linebackers whose performance reflects the standard established by Dick Butkus more than six decades ago at the University of Illinois and throughout his Hall of Fame NFL career.
The 2026 watch list includes representatives from seven conferences, led by the SEC (14), Big Ten (12), Big 12 (12) and ACC (9), with additional representatives from the MAC (1) and Mountain West (1), along with two Independents. Virginia's Kam Robinson is the only returning semifinalist.
The last Knight to be named to the Butkus Award Preseason Watch List was Jason Johnson in 2023.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2026 campaign are on sale and can be purchased here! Be sure to be a part of all the action as the Knights play their 20th season in Acrisure Bounce House.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.