Tag: rimington trophy watchlist

Texas A&M OL Bryce Foster named to the Rimington Trophy preseason watchlist

Texas A&M OL Bryce Foster was included in the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which recognizes the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I football.

In what has felt like another day at the office for Texas A&M, one of the football team’s leaders in the trenches has been rightfully added to a preseason watchlist for individual hardware heading into 2023.

On Friday afternoon, it was announced that offensive lineman Bryce Foster was included in the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, as announced by the Rimington Trophy committee. The trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football.

Foster returns for the 2023 season after logging 16 starts at center during his first two seasons with the Maroon and White, including 12 as a freshman and four in 2022. While his season was cut short a year ago due to injury, he’ll look to return to the caliber of play from his freshman season, in which he led all true freshman centers with a 73.0 run-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

As a dual-sport athlete, Foster’s strength and athleticism make him a key fulcrum of an offensive line that is among the country’s leaders in returning production. In 2021, Foster was named to The Athletic Freshman All-America First Team, FWAA Freshman All-America Team, and the SEC All-Freshman Team. Additionally, he holds two all-time top-10 shot put records, including the fifth-best outdoor mark at 64’8.75″ and the sixth-best indoor toss at 61’7.75″.

Foster is the latest Aggie to be added to a preseason watchlist for individual hardware, joining McKinnley Jackson, Nik Constantinou, Max Wright, and Donovan Green.

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Florida’s starting center named to Rimington Trophy Watchlist

Yet another Florida Gator earns a mention on a prestigious preseason watch list.

Florida football’s redshirt junior center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] earned a mention on the Rimington Trophy Watchlist, the trophy committee announced on Friday.

This year, the committee worked with Pro Football Focus 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 and that play-by-play grading allowed the Trophy committee to create a watchlist based both on nominations from the schools and data provided. Once the season begins, schools will be able to nominate their centers for late addition based on in-season merit.

The Jacksonville, Florida, native has never allowed a sack in 40 games played and has only allowed three quarterback hits in 26 straight starts at center, according to PFF.

Florida has produced one winner of the award: Maurkice Pouncey in 2009. Mike Degory was a finalist in 2005.

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.

The trophy will be presented on Jan. 14, 2023, at The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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Georgia center Warren Ericson named to 2021 Rimington Trophy Watchlist

Georgia center Warren Ericson named to 2021 Rimington Trophy Watchlist

This year’s Rimington Trophy Watchlist includes Georgia center Warren Ericson. The trophy is given annually to the nation’s top center.

Ericson (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) signed with the Bulldogs as a four-star prospect in 2018 and has seen action 15 games, including three starts. The Suwanee, Ga., native started at center versus Missouri in 2019, started at right guard in the 2019 Sugar Bowl win versus Baylor and started at center in UGA’s win over Cincinnati in the 2020 Peach Bowl.

Ericson, a junior, is expected to replace center Trey Hill, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason. The Georgia front will also replace another NFL draftee in tackle Ben Cleveland, but have experience remaining in seniors Jamaree Salyer and Justin Justin Shaffer.

Georgia players and coaches named to preseason award watchlists:

Lott IMPACT Trophy — Nakobe Dean
Dodd Trophy — Kirby Smart
Chuck Bednarik Award — Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean
Maxwell Award — JT Daniels
Doak Walker Award — James Cook, Zamir White
John Mackey Award — Arik Gilbert, Darnell Washington
Davey O’Brien Award — JT Daniels
Rimington Trophy — Warren Ericson
Butkus Award — Adam Anderson, Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker