The Pac-12 Conference stood for 108 years and saw some incredible football be played over that century. One thing that it never saw, though, was a player win the Rimington Trophy for the best center in the nation.
That is until 2023, when Oregon Ducks star Jackson Powers-Johnson was able to become the first player in conference history to take home the honor.
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Powers-Johnson was named the Rimington Trophy winner on Friday night at the annual College Football Awards Show, recognizing him for his elite year spearheading the Ducks’ line that was among the best in the nation. He led all centers in pass-blocking this year, having the highest Pro Football Focus grade after allowing just one pressure and zero sacks on 471 attempts. He was also the third highest-rated center in the nation when it came to run blocking.
JPJ was named to the Pac-12 All-First-Team in 2023, as well as a USA TODAY First-Team All-American, and the first-team center for The Athletic’s All-American team, and CBS Sports’ First-Team All-American team.
As you would expect, Oregon fans celebrated the news on social media. Here were some of the top reactions: