Landman Named Butkus Semifinalist

BOULDER -- Senior Nate Landman was named one of 16 semifinalists for the Dick Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker, the Butkus Foundation announced Monday.  

Landman is having yet another productive season for the Buffaloes.  Despite suffering a torn achilles in the regular season finale last December, he returned full strength for fall camp and hasn't looked back.  He leads the Buffs with 10.1 tackles per game, six tickles for loss and another nine for no gain, seven third down stops and four pass break-ups.  He also has three quarterback pressures, one forced fumble and a fourth down stop.  

Landman is also one of four Pac-12 players on the list and one of five who were also named semifinalists last season.  In the Pac-12, he joins Arizona State's Darien Butler, Oregon's Noah Sewell and Utah's Devin Lloyd.  And he joins Lloyd along with Alabama's Christian Harris, Georgia's Nakobe Dean and Rutgers' Olakunle Fatukasi as players earning semifinalist honors multiple times. 

Landman is currently in fifth place and one of six CU players to record 400 career tackles, and his 285 solo stops ranks second in CU history and just eight behind Jordon Dizon's record of 293.  Should his numbers hold, he will become the first player in CU history to lead the Buffs in tackles four straight seasons and the first to average more than 10 tackles per game four times, as well.  

He currently holds the school record for most tackles for zero (36), third down stops (53) and fourth down stops (nine), and ranks sixth for tackles for a loss (40), 32nd in sacks (11) and 35th in pass break-ups (17).  

The Buffs host Oregon State this weekend for Homecoming with a 5 p.m. kickoff on Pac-12 Networks.