Tag: Lombardi Award

Danny Stutsman named Lombardi Award semifinalist

Danny Stutsman named a semifinalist to a prestigious defensive award.

There is no question the Oklahoma Sooners defense is much improved from a season ago. A big reason is the step linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] has taken in Year 2 under Brent Venables.

Stutsman leads the team with 73 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss. He also has 2 sacks and an interception. He ranks 26th in the nation in tackles per game. He was in the top 10 for most of the season but fell out after leaving last week’s game early.

On Wednesday, his performance this season was honored as he was named one of 12 semifinalists for the [autotag]Lombardi Award[/autotag].

The Lombardi Award is given each year to the college football offensive or defensive lineman or linebacker who exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame head coach Vince Lombardi in addition to outstanding performance on the field.

To even be considered for the Lombardi Award, a player must be a down lineman on offense or defense, setting up no further than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball at the time of the snap, or a linebacker on defense setting up no more than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

Former Sooners [autotag]Lee Roy Selmon[/autotag] (1975), [autotag]Tony Casillas[/autotag] (1985) and [autotag]Tommie Harris[/autotag] (2003) have been honored with the award.

The finalists for the Lombardi will be announced on Nov. 15, 2023. Oklahoma’s best defensive player can continue to take a step toward postseason honors with a big game in [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag].

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Linebacker Luke Reimer named to the Lombardi Award Preseason Watchlist

Another Husker football player was named to the preseason award watchlist.

Another Husker football player was named to the preseason award watchlist. Linebacker Luke Reimer, who’s entering his final season of play, was named to the Lombardi Award Preseason Watchlist.

Named after Vince Lombardi, the award honors an outstanding college football lineman, offense or defense, who in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of Vince Lombardi.

Five Huskers received the award in the 49 years the honor’s been active. The last Nebraska player to win the award was Ndamukong Suh. 

Reimer is now one of a few Huskers to be named to a preseason award watchlist joining Jeff Sims, who was named to the Davey O’Brien Award earlier this month.

The Ashland native is entering his final season at Nebraska with a big resume. Through his last two seasons, Reimer racked up 195 tackles, 13 passes defended, 9.5 TFLs, three forced fumbles, two sacks and two interceptions.

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Husker linebacker named to awards watch list

A Nebraska linebacker has been named to a preseason awards watch list.

A Nebraska linebacker has been named to a preseason awards watch list. Luke Reimer was one of 80 players named to the Lombardi Award watch list.

The Lombardi Award is given each year to the college football player that best embodies the values and spirit of NFL head coach Vince Lombardi. To be eligible for the award, you must be a down lineman on offense or defense, or linebacker.

Last season, Reimer appeared in ten games making 86 total tackles. He currently has 245 career tackles which rank 15th in Nebraska history.

The linebacker was also one of several Huskers to be awarded single-digit numbers. He’ll be wearing the No. 4 jersey. Reimer previously held the No. 28 jersey.

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Four Ohio State football players named to the Lombardi Award watch list

More Buckeyes on a watch list. You don’t say #GoBucks

The preseason honors keep coming for the [autotag]Ohio State football team[/autotag].

It seems as if every day that another award puts out their watch list, and with it, another day where multiple Buckeyes have the potential to bring some hardware back home to Columbus.

Today, it was the [autotag]Lombardi Award[/autotag], given out annually to the top lineman in college football. The last Ohio State star to win the award was linebacker [autotag]A.J. Hawk[/autotag] back in 2005. The first winner of the award was Buckeye great [autotag]Jim Stillwagon[/autotag] in 1970.

Find out below which four current Buckeyes made the watch list along with who has the best chance to break the Ohio State drought.

Lombardi Award watch list includes trio of Nittany Lions

Will one of these three players become Penn State’s third all-time Lombardi Award winner?

Just when you thought we were done looking over college football award watch lists, the Rotary Club of Houston released this year’s watch list for the Lombardi Award. And on it were the names of three of Penn State’s top players for the upcoming college football season.

Linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], offensive tackle [autotag]Olumuyiwa Fashanu[/autotag], and defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] were among the players listed on the preseason watch list for the Lombardi Award. The Lombardi Award is presented annually to college football’s top lineman who exemplifies the values and character of former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi. Linebackers are eligible for the award as well as long as they line up no more than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

Fashanu made a somewhat surprising decision to return to Penn State for one more year of college football. Projected by many to be a likely first-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Fashanu’s decision to return was a huge boost for the Penn State offensive line in 2023. Fashanu still projects to be a first-round draft pick in 2024, and some draft analysts believe he could be a high first-round pick.

Fashanu also appears on the watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Outland Trophy.

Carter started six games and played in all 13 games for Penn State in 2022. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors and was a freshman All-American for the FWAA. He led Penn State with 10.5 tackles for loss last season and he finished fourth in the Big Ten with 6.5 sacks last season.

Carter has also appeared on the watch lists for the Bednarik Award,  Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

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Robinson transferred to Penn State from Maryland and he quickly asserted himself as a playmaker on the Penn State defensive line. Robinson appeared in 12 games and recorded 10 tackles for a loss with 5.5 sacks. He earned team defensive player of the week honors three times last season, including in the Rose Bowl against Utah.

Robinson also appears on the watch list for the Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Award.

Penn State has two all-time winners of the Lombardi Award. Defensive tackle Bruce Clark was the first to do so in 1978. Decades later, Carl Nassib became the second Lombardi Award winner in school history.

Last year’s winner of the Lombardi Award was Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was the most recent Big Ten player to win the Lombardi Award, doing so in 2021.

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Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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ChatGPT ranks top 10 offensive linemen in Notre Dame history

How many of these players do you remember?

Talk to any back who’s had a great football game, and they almost always will give credit to their offensive linemen. Those are the guys who make every explosive offensive play possible. They will do whatever it takes to hold off the attacking defense. They seldom get any glory compared to those backs and receivers, but no offense can function without them.

While every college football blocker is good, some are just so much better than others. So in light of that, we’ve asked AI writing tool ChatGPT to list what it believes are the 10 best to ever block for Notre Dame offenses. It doesn’t matter which position they played. They just have to have excelled at whatever it was.

This concludes us putting ChatGPT to work ranking Notre Dame players by offensive position. We’ve already ranked ChatGPT’s 10 best quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and tight ends. Now, we look at the offense’s unsung heroes. Here they are with the entries edited for accuracy:

PJ Mustipher named on Rotary Lombardi Award watch list

Penn State’s PJ Mustipher is one of 11 Big Ten players on this year’s watch list for the Lombardi Award.

The return of [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag] to the Penn State defensive line is sure to be a big plus for the Nittany Lions this season. His return is also putting him on the radar for the Rotary Lombardi Award.

On Monday, the Rotary Club of Houston released its watch list for this season’s Rotary Lombardi Award, which is designed to honor college football’s lineman of the year. Mustipher, who opted to return for another season after suffering a season-ending injury last fall, is among the players on the watch list for the award.

Semi-finalists for the award will be announced on November 10 and four finalists will be announced on November 23. The winner of the 2022 Rotary Lombardi Award will be announced on December 7.

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Mustipher is one of 11 players from the Big Ten to appear on the watch list. The Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 tied for the most watch list players with 11 each.

Penn State has two all-time winners of the Lombardi Award. [autotag]Bruce Clark[/autotag] was the first Nittany Lion to receive the award, doing so in 1978 at the defensive tackle position. Penn State’s second and most recent Lombardi Award winner was defensive end [autotag]Carl Nassib[/autotag], who took home the award in 2015.

Last year’s recipient of the Lombardi Award was defensive end Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan.

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Four Tigers placed on Lombardi Award Watch List

The Rotary Club of Houston announced today that defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, offensive tackle Jordan McFadden, defensive end Myles Murphy and linebacker Trenton Simpson have all been named among 77 players on the 2022 watch list for the Rotary …

The Rotary Club of Houston announced today that defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, offensive tackle Jordan McFadden, defensive end Myles Murphy and linebacker Trenton Simpson have all been named among 77 players on the 2022 watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award, presented annually to the nation’s top lineman or linebacker. Additional information from the Rotary Club of Houston is included below:

Houston, TX (August 1, 2022) – The Rotary Lombardi Award®, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Houston, is pleased to announce the 77 players who will compete for this year’s coveted award. The Rotary Lombardi Award® goes annually to the college football offensive or defensive lineman, who in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi.

This year’s watch list is filled with talent from a multitude of schools and conferences, which should make for an exciting voting process. To be considered for the Rotary Lombardi Award®, players must be a NCAA FBS College Football team member and meet the following qualifications:

· Be a down Lineman, end to end, either on offense or defense, setting up no further than ten (10) yards to the left or right of the ball at the time of the snap.

· Be a Linebacker on defense, setting up no further than five (5) yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

· Must not come out of the offensive backfield and set up on the line of scrimmage as a Blocker or a Receiver or listed in the program as an Offensive Back or Receiver.

· Be eligible to participate in the current season.

The voting process will follow this schedule.

· November 1 – 8, 2022: Vote to determine Semi-finalists

· November 10, 2022: Semi-finalists announcement

· November 11 – 21, 2022: Vote to determine Four Finalists

· November 23, 2022: Four Finalists announcement

· November 23 – December 5, 2022: Final vote to determine winner

· December 7, 2022: Rotary Lombardi Award® Winner announced

A mid-season watch list will be released on Oct 15 to reflect any updates to the current list.

The 2022 Rotary Lombardi Award® watchlist is compiled by a subcommittee of the Rotary Lombardi Award® committee and included SID submissions. Players were selected based on their past performance and expectations for the upcoming 2022 college football season. To be considered for the watchlist, players must also have started at least one game at an NCAA Division 1 college or university.

All ten Division-I FBS conferences will be represented in the 77-player watch list. With 11 players each, the SEC and the Big Ten conferences look to have strong seasons with dominant play. Seven players hold spots on this watch list from the 2021 College Football Playoff teams alone; Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia, and Michigan.

The SEC is represented by players from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. Alabama standout, and 2021 Nagurski Trophy winner Will Anderson Jr. is expecting to be a top 3 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Along with Henry To’o To’o at inside linebacker, Alabama’s defense looks potent. Preseason 1st-team All-American (Athlon Sports) Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter also has top 5 pick potential in the 2023 Draft, coming off a season with 33 QB pressures and 8.5 TFLs. Carter is joined by teammates Brock Bowers and Nolan Smith; both were 2021 1st-team SEC players.

Among those representing the Big Ten are Peter Skoronski, Northwestern offensive tackle and preseason 1st-team All-American (Athlon Sports); John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota center, preseason 1st-team All-American (Athlon Sports), and the top Center on many draft boards; Jack Campbell, Iowa linebacker, 2021 1st-team All-Big Ten and preseason 1st-team All-American (Phil Steele), who comes off 143 tackles last season. The Big Ten also has three selections from Ohio State, Paris Johnson Jr. (OT), Dawand Jones (OT), and Zach Harrison (DE), along with more players from Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, and Wisconsin.

Clemson and Notre Dame both have four players on our watch list. Clemson is represented by Jordan McFadden (OT), Trenton Simpson (LB), Myles Murphy (DE), and Bryan Bresee (DT); the latter two were both top 5 recruits in the country and Freshman All-American. Many are anticipating Bresee to come back stronger after only playing in 4 games in 2021 due to injury; he was awarded ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020. Notre Dame is represented by Jarrett Patterson, Michael Mayer, Isaiah Foskey, and Jayson Ademilola; all were 2021 All-Independent 1st-team selections. In the 2021 season, Foskey led the team and had the 3rd most sacks in a single season in ND history with 11.0; he was also a 3rd-team All-American (AP).

With eight players on our 2022 watch list, the west coast is going to be rocking with Pac-12 play again this season. Oregon’s 2021 1st-team All-Pac-12, Butkus Semifinalist, and 2022 Preseason 1st-team All-American (Walter Camp) Noah Sewell will solidify his dominant college career, coming off of 114 tackles with 8.5 TFLs last season alone. USC’s Andrew Vorhees, with 44 career games, is one of the most experienced offensive tackles in the country and comes off of the 2021 1st-team All-Pac-12 campaign. Vorhees is joined by two-time 1st-team All-Pac-12 Washington offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland, who is looking for a 3rd 1st-team selection to bolster his draft position in the 1st round.

By Conference: Big Ten (11), SEC (11), Big 12 (10), ACC (8), Independents (8), Pac-12 (8), C-USA (6), Sun Belt (6), American (4), Mountain West (3), Mid-American (2).

Full List sorted alphabetically:

Jayson Ademilola, Notre Dame, S-Sr DL

Praise Amaewhule, UTEP, Rs, Jr DE

Darren Anders, Bowling Green, Sr ILB

Will Anderson Jr., Alabama, Jr OLB

Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State, Jr DE

Clark Barrington, BYU, Jr LG

Abraham Beauplan, Marshall, Sr LB

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, Jr OL

Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State, Rs Sr LB

Brock Bowers, Georgia, So TE

Dwayne Boyles, USF, Sr LB

Bryan Bresee, Clemson, Rs So DT

Nick Broeker, Ole Miss, Sr OG

Jack Campbell, Iowa, Sr LB

Jalen Carter, Georgia, Jr DL

Andre Carter II, Army, Jr OLB

Caleb Chandler, Louisville, Rs Sr G

Elijah Chatman, SMU, Sr DT

Braeden Daniels, Utah, Jr RT

KD Davi, North Texas, Sr LB

SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh, Sr LB

Brandon Dorlus, Oregon, Jr DE

Trevor Downing, Iowa State, Rs Sr C

Cory Durden, North Carolina State, Rs Sr DT/DE

Jordan Ferguson, Middle Tennessee, Rs Sr DE

Alex Forsyth, Oregon, Sr C

Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame, Sr DE

Zach Frazier, West Virginia, So C

Blake Freeland, BYU, Jr LT

Connor Galvin, Baylor, Sr OT

Ali Gaye, LSU, Rs Sr DE

Tyler Grubbs, Louisiana Tech, So LB

Derick Hall, Auburn, Sr Edge

Zach Harrison Ohio State Sr DE

Nick Herbig, Wisconsin, Jr OLB

Jamal Hines, Toledo, Sr OLB

Cooper Hodges, Appalachian State, Rs Jr OT

Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State, Jr OT

Dawand Jones, Ohio State, Sr OT

Viliami Junior Fehoko, San Jose State, Jr DE

Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh, Rs Jr DT

Jaxson Kirkland, Washington, Sr OT

Willie Lampki, Coastal Carolina, Jr C

Sam LaPorta, Iowa, Sr TE

Ahofitu Maka, UTSA, Sr C

Carlton Martian, Troy, Sr LB

Brock Marti, Oklahoma State, S-Sr DE

Michael Mayer, Notre Dame, Jr TE

Caden McDonald, San Diego State, Sr LB

Will McDonald IV, Iowa State, Rs Sr DE

Jordan McFadden, Clemson, Rs Sr OT

Lorenz Metz, Cincinnati, Sr OG

Wyatt Milum, West Virginia, So OT

Myles Murphy, Clemson, Jr DE

Chris Murray, Oklahoma, Rs Sr OG

PJ Mustipher, Penn State, S-Sr DT

Chris Ojoh, New Mexico State, Sr LB

Olu Oluwatimi, Michigan, S-Sr C

Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame, Gr-S OL

Patrick Paul, Houston, So OT

David Perales, Fresno State, Sr DE

Bumper Pool, Arkansas, Rs Sr LB

Layden Robinson, Texas A&M, Sr OG

John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota, S-Sr C

Noah Sewell, Oregon, So LB

Trenton Simpson, Clemson, Jr LB

Peter Skoronski, Northwestern, Jr OT

Jacob Slade, Michigan State, Rs Sr DT

Nolan Smith, Georgia, Sr LB

Javon Solomon, Troy, So LB

Josaiah Steward, Coastal Carolina, So Bandit

Dante Stills, West Virginia, S-Sr DL

Ron Stonen Jr., Washington State, Rs Jr Edge

Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama, Sr ILB

O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida, Jr OL

Tuli Tuipulotu, USC, Jr DT

Andrew Vorhees, USC, Rs Sr OG

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Although his season is done, PJ Mustipher named a semifinalist for national award

Penn State DT PJ Mustipher has been named a semifinalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award

It was a bittersweet couple of days for Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher. Days after leaving Penn State’s first loss of the season with an injury on the opening drive of the game, it was confirmed Mustipher’s season has come to an abrupt end due to the injury. On the same day, Mustipher was named a semifinalist for a national college football award.

The Rotary Lombardi Award semifinalists were announced by the Rotary Club of Houston on Wednesday. Among the 12 semi-finalists for the award was Penn State’s Mustipher.

The Lombardi Award is presented to the nation’s top lineman and can go to either an offensive lineman or defensive lineman. Linebackers and tight ends may also be eligible for the award.

Mustipher may have a difficult time reaching the finalist stage for the Lombardi Award considering his season is now over. Mustipher is still officially in the running for now to become the third player in Penn State’s program history to lay claim to the Lombardi Award. Previous winners from Penn State include Bruce Clark in 1978 and Carl Nassib in 2015.

NEXT: The full list of Lombardi Award semifinalists for 2021

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Thayer Munford named Lombardi Award semifinalist

Thayer Munford one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award. #GoBucks

Ohio State left guard Thayer Munford has been named one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, an honor that goes to college football’s top offensive or defensive lineman annually.

Munford has a ton of experience and is a team captain for 2021. He has a total of 51 games in the scarlet and gray under his belt, 38 of those as a starter. He took advantage of the extra year of eligibility as a “super senior” afforded college athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and graduated in August.

On the field, Munford has helped anchor an offensive line that has given up only eight sacks on the year and has helped an OSU offense that ranks as No. 1 in total offense (563.2 yards/game), No. 3 in scoring (48.5 points/game), and No. 3 in rushing offense in yards per attempt (6.2).

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Thayer Munford (75) is taken off the field after an injury in the first quarter during an NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Out of Cincinnati, Munford was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media in 2020, and was the second-ever recipient of the “Block-0” jersey given in recognition of Bill Willis.

The list will be paired down to four finalists by the Rotary Club of Houston on Nov. 9, and the winner at an awards dinner on Dec. 8.

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