OK. The first college football watch list of 2021 is out and there’s an Ohio State player involved.
The 2021 Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list was announced on Tuesday, and defensive end Zach Harrison was one of 42 players appearing among the notable names.
According to the Lott IMPACT Trophy’s website, “College defensive players are nominated to the Watch List based on the IMPACT on their teams on and off the field. IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. The 42 represents Ronnie Lott’s number during his legendary career.”
Most of you probably know him, but Ronnie Lott was an All-American for USC before spending the majority of his 14 years in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers. He has four Super Bowl titles to his credit and is an NFL Hall of Famer.
DE @zacharrison_ does important work on and off the field, representing @OhioStateFB on the Big Ten’s Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition. #CharacterCounts pic.twitter.com/NppZJrydi1
— Lott IMPACT Trophy (@TheLottTrophy) June 15, 2021
Harrison is looking for a breakout year in 2021. He came to Ohio State out of the 2018 recruiting class and was expected to do big things as a consensus five-star prospect. The tools are there, and we’ve seen flashes, but there’s no denying that he has yet to fulfill his promise. This could be the year.
Off the field, Harrison has been a key figure in shaping racial equality. He is a member of the Anti-hate and Anti-racism Coalition in the Big Ten. Those activities are just as important to winning the award as what happens on the gridiron.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis is the only OSU player to take home the award. He did it in 2008. Paddy Fisher of Northwestern was honored last season.
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