Oregon star linebacker Bryce Boettcher won the Burlsworth Trophy on Monday night, given to the nation’s most outstanding college football player who began their career as a walk-on.

The senior Boettcher attended Monday’s ceremony in Fayetteville, Ark., with fellow nominees Shaun Dolac of Buffalo and James Carpenter of Indiana.

Boettcher had 7 tackles and a tackle-for-loss in Saturday night’s 45-37 victory over Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game. Boettcher got his first start against Portland State last season as a junior and has developed into a standout for the unbeaten, top-seeded Ducks, leading them this season with 87 combined tackles (45 solo), 8 tackles-for-loss, 2 sacks and an interception.

Last season, as he got used to being on the field as a walk-on, Boettcher had 37 tackles, 15 of them solo, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Boettcher had 2 tackles in very limited action in 2022 after first walking on to the football team.

Boettcher is a hometown kid from Eugene who began his career at Oregon as a baseball player before walking on to the football team and competing as a dual-sport athlete.

He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the MLB Draft this year after winning a collegiate Gold Glove as a center fielder for the Ducks baseball team in the spring.