From The Nebraska Athletic Department:

Senior linebacker Lavonte David earned a spot on his fourth watch list of the fall, as he was named to the Butkus Award Watch List on Thursday.

David is one of the favorites for the 2011 Butkus following a record-setting campaign in 2011. The Miami, Fla., native racked up a school-record 152 tackles in his first season at Nebraska, breaking Barrett Ruud’s mark of 149 set in 2003. His emergence helped the Blackshirts rank in the top 12 nationally in both scoring defense and total defense in 2010.

A first-team All-Big 12 pick and the league’s newcomer of the year, he ranked 11th nationally in tackles per game and was second on the team in sacks (six), tackles for loss (15 for 60 yards) and pass breakups (10) to earn first-team All-America honors from several outlets. David had eight games with at least 10 tackles, including a season-high 19 against South Dakota State and 17 in the Big 12 title game against Oklahoma.

He is one of five Big Ten players on the Butkus Award list this season, representing the nation’s top linebacker. David has already been named to watch lists for the Bednarik and Lombardi Awards, as well as the Nagurski Trophy.