LARAMIE -- If there's one thing Logan Wilson doesn't like talking about, it's Logan Wilson.

Monday, there was no avoiding the subject.

Wilson was one of 12 college football players named Butkus Award semifinalists. That honor is given to the best linebacker in the nation.

The Casper product is the only name on that list that doesn't suit up for a Power-5 school.




"I've come a long way in the last five years since I've been here," Wilson said. "It's truly a humbling honor to be on that list with 11 other guys and to be the only Group of Five kid on it means a lot. To be honest, I didn't really worry about that stuff, you know that, I just went out and did my thing and whatever I needed to do to help this team win games."

Wilson surpassed Chris Prosinski on the school's all-time tackle list with eight in a win over Nevada. Wilson now has 375 career tackles, second among active players at the FBS level. With four more stops, Wilson will pass John Salley for third in program history.

This season, the senior captain has 62 tackles, which is an average of 7.8 per game. Only safety Alijah Halliburton has more with 76.

"It's gone by in the blink of an eye," Wilson said. "I'm playing some of my best football, yeah, as far as what goes into playing the linebacker spot. Obviously, there are some things I can improve on in every part of my game.

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"It's just a work ethic my parents instilled in me. You will never play a perfect game. You always strive for it, but you never get it. It's been a long time coming to be able to have my best year -- my senior year -- and hopefully that will propel me in my career forward."

Josiah Hall has lined up with Wilson since they both arrived on campus in 2015.

He agrees, Wilson is playing the best he ever has. This award just proves it, Hall added.

"I'm super excited for him. No one deserves it more than Logan," Hall said. "He's a great teammate and a great leader. It's great to see his growth. Shoot, it's crazy from when we were freshman to now the improvement he has made. It's just been awesome to see. He just gets better and better every year."

And to think, Wilson was supposed to be a corner back in Laramie. Or so he thought.

"It's all worked out," Wilson laughed.

The other 11 semifinalists are:
Joe Bachie, Michigan State
Zack Baun, Wisconsin
Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
Tae Crowder, Georgia
Jordan Glasgow, Michigan
Jake Hansen, Illinois
Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Micah Parsons, Penn State
Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
Evan Weaver, California

The committee noted three probable semi-finalists had their season not been interrupted due to injury: Dylan Moses of Alabama, Markus Bailey of Purdue and Cale Garrett of Missouri.

Finalists will be named on Monday, Nov. 25, and winners on or before Dec. 10. The professional winner will be announced in early 2020.

The 2018 Butkus Award winners were:
•Professional: Khalil Mack, Chicago Bears
•Collegiate: Devin White, LSU (now Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
•High School: Nakobe Dean, Horn Lake, Miss. (now Georgia)

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