Notre Dame’s offensive line has drawn praise seemingly week after week all season long and on Monday one of their own was named a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy that is awarded annually to the best interior lineman, offensive or defensive, in all of college football.
Senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg made the cut with five others:
Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State
Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama
Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa
Eichenberg is the best of a very talented bunch that have helped Notre Dame dominate the time of possession game this year and has been key in three different running backs being able to rush for over 100 yards in a combined seven contests this year.
Eichenberg has also been nothing short of outstanding in pass protection as he hasn’t allowed a sack since Week 5 of 2018 according to Pro Football Focus.
Notre Dame OT Liam Eichenberg hasn't allowed a sack since WK 5 of 2018 pic.twitter.com/MWYT6w4p4S
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 3, 2020
Notre Dame has had three Outland Trophy winners in the 75 years of the award: George Connor in 1946, Bill Fischer in 1948, and most recently Ross Browner in 1976.
Somehow Quenton Nelson was only voted as a semi-finalist in 2017. Mike McGlinchey was a finalist the same year as the award was ultimately given to Ed Oliver of Houston.
The Outland Trophy, which has been awarded annually by the FWAA since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. The Outland Trophy is the third-oldest award in major college football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.