Rasheem Biles is adding another line to his early Texas résumé.
The No. 11/11 Longhorns senior linebacker was announced Wednesday as one of 15 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate linebacker. It is the first time Biles has reached semifinalist status.
Biles has been a steady force for Texas all season, and his stat line shows why he’s in the mix. The Columbus, Ohio, native leads the Longhorns with three interceptions and seven quarterback hurries. He also ranks second on the team in tackles with 53 and tackles for loss with 5.5, while adding three pass break-ups, one sack and a forced fumble.
Those numbers put him near the top of the conference, too. Biles is third in the SEC and 12th in the FBS with three interceptions, and he ranks third in the league and 13th nationally in interceptions per game at 0.43.
His latest recognition came after another big outing, when he was named the SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26.
That was his second such honor this season, and his first since Sept. 7.
Biles’ impact has shown up in big moments all year. In his Texas debut against Texas State on Sept. 5, he finished with five tackles, a half tackle for loss and two turnovers forced - a fumble and an interception.
The forced fumble led to a 59-yard return touchdown by sophomore DB Graceson Littleton and a 28-0 lead, while the interception set up a touchdown three plays later and helped push Texas ahead 49-7. That performance earned him the SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week award on Sept.
He kept stacking productive games after that. Against No.
1/1 Ohio State on Sept. 12, Biles had eight tackles, six solo.
One week later against UTSA, he posted four tackles, an interception and a quarterback hurry. In Texas’ SEC opener at No.
14/13 Tennessee on Sept. 26, he led the team with 13 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack, plus a quarterback hurry.
Biles also delivered against Florida on Oct. 17 with seven tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass break-up. A week later, he was again central to a Texas win, helping the Longhorns beat No.
7 Ole Miss 34-27 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 24.
Against the Rebels, Biles had four tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception, two pass breakups and four pressures. His interception came on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line late in the first half and preserved Texas’ 24-3 lead.
It was his third interception of the season and marked the first time Ole Miss was kept out of the end zone after reaching first-and-goal all year. His pressures also helped force field goals and punts at key points, and his pass break-up on the Rebels’ final drive helped seal the win.
Biles is part of a Texas defense that has been one of the SEC’s most effective units. The Longhorns lead the conference and rank 11th nationally in passing efficiency defense at 107.66. They are 15th in the FBS in total defense at 285.4 yards per game, and also rank 14th in tackles for loss per game at 7.1, 19th in sacks at 2.71, 21st in passing yards allowed at 178.1, 27th in rushing defense at 107.3, 29th in red zone defense at 0.778 and 30th in scoring defense at 19.1.
Texas has had recent Butkus recognition before. Last season, Anthony Hill Jr. was a finalist, becoming the first Longhorn finalist since Sergio Kindle in 2009.
Derrick Johnson won the award in 2004 after being a finalist in 2003. Current Texas freshman linebacker Tyler Atkinson won the 2025 Butkus High School Award as a senior.
Finalists for the collegiate and high school awards will be announced on Nov. 20, and the 2026 Butkus Award winners will be named the week of Dec. 7.
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