Vols redshirt senior wider receiver Velus Jones Jr. has been named to the preseason Paul Hornung Award Watchlist and Senior defensive lineman Matthew Butler has been named to the Weurffel Trophy preseason watchlist.
Jones enters his second season on Rocky Top and sixth at the collegiate level this fall. The 6-0, 200-pound wideout is UT’s leading returner from the 2020 campaign in receptions (22), receiving yards (280) and receiving touchdowns (3). He also led the SEC in kickoff return yards (398) and was second in the league in kickoff return average (22.11).
A leader on and off the field Butler has totaled 88 tackles, six for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups and one forced fumble in his Tennessee career. He’s made the SEC Academic Honor Roll four times while also garnering CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in 2019.
Butler was also part of the exclusive VOLeaders Academy during the 2018-19 academic year and was a nominee for the 2021 H. Boyd McWhorter Student-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship, which is awarded annually by the SEC to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes.
The Paul Hornung Award is given annually by the Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) to the most versatile player in major college football. The honor is named for former Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung, winner of the 1956 Heisman Trophy and No. 1 pick in the 1957 NFL Draft.
Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Weurffel, the Wuerffel Trophy is presented annually to recognizes college football’s top community servant. The trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society and inspire greater service in the world.
