Florida junior linebacker Myles Graham has added another preseason honor to his growing resume, landing on the Butkus Award watch list on Thursday ahead of the 2026 season.
The Butkus Award goes annually to the nation’s top linebacker, and Graham’s inclusion comes just two days after he was also named to the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy watch list. That award recognizes the best FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.
Graham, the son of former UF running back Earnest Graham, is set to enter his third season with the Gators in 2026 after a strong 2025 campaign in the middle of the defense.
As a sophomore last season, Graham paced Florida with 76 tackles and added seven tackles for loss and two sacks. He also broke up four passes, which ranked second on the team and tied for second among FBS linebackers. Across the regular season, he was one of only four SEC players to post at least 75 tackles and 7.0-plus tackles for loss.
His rise started before that. In 2024, Graham earned a spot on the Southeastern Conference’s All-Freshman Team after putting together 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and one defended pass.
Florida’s staff has also pointed to his presence beyond the stat sheet. Graham was one of the program’s three representatives at SEC Media Days this offseason, joined by junior running back Jadan Baugh and sophomore wide receiver Vernell Brown III.
"Yeah, they're all extremely hard workers, very dependable, all talented football players. We're not going to bring, you know, backups here.
But these are guys that you can hang your hat on; they're going to bring it every day," Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said of the trio at SEC Media Days. "They work hard in the weight room, they've been tremendous all offseason, in spring practice.
Just consummate teammates."
Founded in 1985, the Butkus Award recognizes linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels, while also supporting Dick Butkus’ legacy through football excellence, cardiovascular health advocacy and youth character development.
The award’s 51-member selection committee includes coaches, professional scouts, former players and members of the media from around the country. Semifinalists will be announced Oct. 28, finalists on Nov. 20 and the winner during the week of Dec. 7.
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