Watch list season continued merrily along on Tuesday with the release of a couple more preseason award watch lists for the upcoming college football season. One of the watch lists released was for the Outland Trophy and Penn State’s big man, returning offensive tackle [autotag]Olumuyiwa Fashanu[/autotag], was among those included on the initial watch list.
The Outland Trophy is awarded to college football’s best interior lineman, with both offensive and defensive players playing on the inside eligible to receive the award. Fashanu figures to be one of the top candidates for this year’s award after making his decision to return for another year of college football.
Fashanu is considered one of the top offensive linemen in the country this season and is already being viewed as a potential high first-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Draft analysts were surprised he passed on the 2023 NFL draft despite many first-round projections for the 2023 NFL draft. And he could be considered one of the favorites for the award this season. Fashanu tied LSU’s Mekhi Wingo for the most votes among returning players for last year’s Outland Trophy.
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The Outland Trophy has been presented annually since 1946, when Notre Dame’s George Connor received the inaugural award. Penn State has had just one Outland Trophy winner in school history. That was Mike Reid in 1969, at defensive tackle.
Olu → Outland Trophy Watch List 🏆#WeAre | @Olu_Fashanu pic.twitter.com/42yIOPcE5N
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 1, 2023
Three finalists for the Outland Trophy will be determined following the formation of the FWAA All-America Team by the Football Writers Association of America.
Last year’s winner of the Outland Trophy was Michigan center Olusegun Oluwatimi. He is just the second Big Ten player to win the award since 2011, with Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff being the other in 2014.
This year’s Outland Trophy winner will be announced at the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show in December.
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