The Boomer Esiason Foundation announced today that Clemson offensive lineman Will Putnam has been named as one of 40 members on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s top center. Additional information from award organizers is included below:
New York, NY — Friday, July 22, 2022
The Rimington Trophy is proud to release its 2022 preseason Watchlist. This year, the Trophy committee worked with Pro Football Focus (PFF) to narrow down its list to the top 40 centers. PFF grades every player on every play of every game on how well they execute their given assignment. That play-by-play grading allowed the Trophy committee to create a watchlist based both on nominations from the schools and data provided by PFF. Once the season begins, schools will be able to nominate their centers for late addition based on in-season merit.
The 2022 Rimington Trophy Watchlist is as follows:
CONFERENCE
SCHOOL
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
CLASS
ACC
Clemson
Will
Putnam
SR
Miami
Jakai
Clark
JR
North Carolina State
Grant
Gibson
RS GRAD
Virginia Tech
Johnny
Jordan
GRAD
Wake Forest
Michael
Jurgens
JR
American
Memphis
Jacob
Likes
RS JR
Tulane
Sincere
Haynesworth
JR
UCF
Matt
Lee
RS JR
Big 12
Baylor
Jacob
Ball
GRAD
Iowa State
Trevor
Downing
RS SR
Kansas
Mike
Novitsky
RS SR
Oklahoma State
Preston
Wilson
SR JR
TCU
Steve
Avila
SR
West Virginia
Zach
Frazier
SO
Big Ten
Michigan
Olu
Oluwatimi
GRAD
Minnesota
John
Michael Schmitz
SR
Ohio State
Luke
Wypler Jr
JR
Penn State
Juice
Scruggs
RS SR
Purdue
Gus
Hartwig
RS SO
Wisconsin
Joe
Tippman
JR
C-USA
UAB
Will
Rykard
RS JR
WKU
Rusty
Staats
RS JR
Independent
BYU
Connor
Pay
RS SO
Notre Dame
Jarett
Patterson
GRAD
MAC
Western Michigan
Jacob
Gideon
RS SO
Mountain West
San Diego State
Alama
Uluave
SR
PAC-12
California
Matthew
Cindric
SR
Oregon
Alex
Forsyth
SR
Oregon State
Jake
Levengood
RS JR
Stanford
Drake
Nugentd
SR
USC
Brett
Neilon
RS SR
SEC
Arkansas
Ricky
Stromberg
SR
Auburn
Nick
Brahms
SR
Florida
Kingsley
Eguakun
RS SO
Georgia
Sedrick
Van Pran
RS SO
Mississippi State
LaQuiston
Sharp
RS SR
Texas A&M
Bryce
Foster
SO
Sun Belt
Coastal Carolina
Willie
Lampkin
JR
Georgia State
Malik
Sumter
RS SR
Troy
Jake
Andrews
JR
While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee uses these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:
• Walter Camp Foundation (WCF)
• Sporting News (SN)
• Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)
Because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a “mix” of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11-man first teams can often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee’s policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the All- America teams.
The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy Committee, provided with data from Pro Football Focus.
* * *
About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football. Since its inception, the award has raised over $5 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation.
Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy’s only two-time winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman. For more on the Rimington Trophy, visit www.rimingtontrophy.com
About the Boomer Esiason Foundation
In 1993, Boomer Esiason’s son, Gunnar, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). Boomer and his wife Cheryl founded the Boomer Esiason Foundation to raise funds and awareness for the cystic fibrosis community. To date, the Foundation has raised over $160 million and works to provide educational and financial resources to help people living with CF in the here and now.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs, digestive system, and reproductive system of about 30,000 Americans by causing a thick build-up of mucus that leads to blockage, inflammation, and infection.
About Pro Football Focus
Since 2006, PFF has separated themselves from the pack in their ability to provide game-changing NFL data supported through studying every player, on every player, of every game. In 2014, they began to do so for college football, offering top service for professional and college programs.
About the NCFAA
The Rimignton Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. The NCFAA encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.
