University of Colorado Athletics
Lampron, Lefau Named To Butkus Award Watch List
August 13, 2026 | Football
BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado linebackers Gideon ESPN Lampron and Liona Lefau have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2026 Butkus Award, the Butkus Foundation announced Thursday.
The award, now in its 42nd year, is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate linebacker and honors Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus. The 51-player watch list — a nod to Butkus' iconic No. 51 jersey — spans 42 schools, making Colorado one of just eight programs nationally with multiple selections.
Both arrived in Boulder this offseason through the transfer portal and, along with Tyler Martinez, headline a revamped Colorado linebacker room.
Lampron, a fifth-year linebacker from LaGrange, Ohio, joined the Buffaloes after a breakout 2025 season at Bowling Green, where he started all 12 games and served as one of four team captains. He piled up 119 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, finishing the regular season as the only player in the country with more than 100 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. He earned first-team All-MAC honors and was a Phil Steele All-America honorable mention. Before Bowling Green, Lampron was a first-team FCS All-American at Dayton in 2024, when he ranked second nationally in tackles for loss with 23.5.
Lefau, a fourth-year linebacker from Kahuku, Hawai'i, came to Colorado after three seasons at Texas, where he played in 42 games with 22 starts and totaled 139 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks. He started all 12 regular-season games for the Longhorns in 2025, recording 69 tackles with a career-high 11 in the regular-season finale against Texas A&M and a 53-yard fumble return for his first career touchdown against Arkansas.
Colorado owns a decorated history with the award. Alfred Williams (1990) and Matt Russell (1996) both won the Butkus, while Ted Johnson (1994) and Jordon Dizon (2007) finished as runners-up. Kanavis McGhee reached the final three in 1990 — the same year Williams won — and Greg Biekert (1992), Ron Wolfork (1993) and Nate Landman (2020) advanced to the semifinals. Lampron and Lefau are the first pair of Buffaloes to appear on the preseason watch list in the same year since Davion Taylor and Landman in 2019.
Semifinalists for the 2026 Butkus Award will be announced Oct. 28, finalists on Nov. 20, and the winner will be revealed during the week of Dec. 7. Selection is based on season-long performance, and players do not need to appear on the preseason watch list to win.
The Buffaloes open the season Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech (6 p.m. MT, ESPN).
The award, now in its 42nd year, is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate linebacker and honors Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus. The 51-player watch list — a nod to Butkus' iconic No. 51 jersey — spans 42 schools, making Colorado one of just eight programs nationally with multiple selections.
Both arrived in Boulder this offseason through the transfer portal and, along with Tyler Martinez, headline a revamped Colorado linebacker room.
Lampron, a fifth-year linebacker from LaGrange, Ohio, joined the Buffaloes after a breakout 2025 season at Bowling Green, where he started all 12 games and served as one of four team captains. He piled up 119 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, finishing the regular season as the only player in the country with more than 100 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. He earned first-team All-MAC honors and was a Phil Steele All-America honorable mention. Before Bowling Green, Lampron was a first-team FCS All-American at Dayton in 2024, when he ranked second nationally in tackles for loss with 23.5.
Lefau, a fourth-year linebacker from Kahuku, Hawai'i, came to Colorado after three seasons at Texas, where he played in 42 games with 22 starts and totaled 139 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks. He started all 12 regular-season games for the Longhorns in 2025, recording 69 tackles with a career-high 11 in the regular-season finale against Texas A&M and a 53-yard fumble return for his first career touchdown against Arkansas.
Colorado owns a decorated history with the award. Alfred Williams (1990) and Matt Russell (1996) both won the Butkus, while Ted Johnson (1994) and Jordon Dizon (2007) finished as runners-up. Kanavis McGhee reached the final three in 1990 — the same year Williams won — and Greg Biekert (1992), Ron Wolfork (1993) and Nate Landman (2020) advanced to the semifinals. Lampron and Lefau are the first pair of Buffaloes to appear on the preseason watch list in the same year since Davion Taylor and Landman in 2019.
Semifinalists for the 2026 Butkus Award will be announced Oct. 28, finalists on Nov. 20, and the winner will be revealed during the week of Dec. 7. Selection is based on season-long performance, and players do not need to appear on the preseason watch list to win.
The Buffaloes open the season Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech (6 p.m. MT, ESPN).
Players Mentioned
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