FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Oregon inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher was announced on Tuesday as one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s most outstanding football player who began his career as a walk-on.
Three finalists for the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy will be announced next Tuesday, Nov. 19. The winner will be announced at the Burslworth Trophy Award Show on Dec. 9 at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark.
A dual-sport standout at Oregon in football and baseball, Boettcher joined the football team in 2022 and has worked his way into a starting linebacker role for the No. 1 Ducks as a senior. Boettcher leads the team with 60 total tackles through 10 games while adding 4.0 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception.
Boettcher was named the Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On of the Week after Oregon’s 49-14 win at Oregon State on Sept. 14. The Eugene native finished the game with a career-high 11 total tackles, most by a Duck this season.
A 13th-round pick by the Houston Astros in the 2024 MLB Draft, Boettcher hit .276 with a career-high 14 home runs and 48 RBIs for the Oregon baseball team as a senior while becoming the fifth player in program history to be named to the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team.
Boettcher and the No. 1 Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) will play at Wisconsin this Saturday, Nov. 16, at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
