Jonathan Bostic was one of three Florida linebackers named to the Butkus Award Watch List (US Presswire)

Watch list has arrived in college football. The annual individual awards given at the end of the season will be rolling out their initial lists over the next couple weeks, and college football fans get their first round of debatable distinctions for 2012.

The Butkus Award prepares for its 28th season honoring college football's best linebackers with the release of the 2012 watch list. Each watch list contains 51 players, honoring the professional number of Dick Butkus.  

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o is the only returning finalist from 2011 and Georgia's Jarvis Jones returns after finishing as a seminfinalst.  Florida and Stanford lead all 38 schools with three players each on the watch list.

2012 Butkus Award Watch List

Nico Johnson, Alabama
C.J. Mosely, Alabama
Brandon Magee, Arizona State
Alonzo Highsmith, Arkansas
Uona Kaveinga, BYU
Douglas Rippy, Colorado
Sio Moore, Connecticut
Jonathan Bostic, Florida
Jelani Jenkins, Florida
Lerentee McCray, Florida
Christian Jones, Florida State
Nick Moody, Florida State
Jarvis Jones, Georgia
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Keith Pough, Howard
Arthur Brown, Kansas State
Jonathan Brown, Illinois
James Morris, Iowa
A.J. Klein, Iowa State
Jake Knott, Iowa State
Kevin Minter, LSU
Kenny Tate, Maryland
Denicos Allen, Michigan State
Max Bullough, Michigan State
Cameron Lawrence, Mississippi State
Zaviar Gooden, Missouri
Jeremiah Greene, Nevada
Kevin Reddick, North Carolina
David Nwabuisi, Northwestern
Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
Etienne Sabino, State" data-canon="Ohio Bobcats" data-type="SPORTS_OBJECT_TEAM" id="shortcode0">
Tom Wort, Oklahoma
Gerald Hodges, Penn State
Michael Mauti, Penn State
Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers
Khaseem Greene, Rutgers
Ja'Gared Davis, SMU
DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina
Dion Bailey, Southern California
Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi
Trent Murphy, Stanford
Shayne Skov, Stanford
Chase Thomas, Stanford
A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
Damontre Moore, Texas A&M
Sean Porter, Texas A&M
John Loutuleilei, UNLV
Bruce Taylor, Virginia Tech
Travis Long, Washington State
Andrew Jackson, Western Kentucky
Chris Borland, Wisconsin

Butkus Award Watch List by Conference
SEC - 15
Big Ten - 9
Pac-12 - 7
ACC - 5
Big 12 - 4
Big East - 3
Conference USA - 2
Independents - 2
Mountain West Conference - 2
Sun Belt - 1
MEAC/FCS - 1

Remember, names can be added and will be taken off these award lists as the season progresses. But still feel free to let us know your feelings on the list in the comment section below.