DALLAS (FWAA) – The Southeastern
Conference dominated the 2014 Outland Trophy Watch List with 19
players – at least eight more prospects than any of the seven other
major-college conferences represented on the 64-man list released
by the Football Writers Association of America.
Texas A&M and South Carolina, which open the 2014 season in
the first game on the SEC Network on Aug. 28, each had three linemen
on the list. Other SEC schools with three players were Alabama and
Auburn. The only other schools with three players were defending
national champion Florida State and Oregon.
There are no returning linemen from the first-team FWAA All-America
group from 2013. But Oregon center Hroniss Grasu and Iowa offensive
tackle Brandon Scherff, second-teamers from last season, are on
the list.
As might be expected, the five power NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision
Conferences dominated. Following the SEC were the Pac-12 (11), Big
Ten (9), ACC (9) and Big 12 (9). Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan State,
Ole all placed teammates on the list.
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who
are part of the FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee,
after voting input from the entire membership, selects the 26-man
first team and eventually the Outland finalists. Committee members,
then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen
on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.
2014 OUTLAND TROPHY
PRESEASON WATCH LIST (64) |
Vadal Alexander, LSU, G |
Ryan Kelly, Alabama, C |
Jack Allen, Michigan State, C |
Arie Kouandjio, Alabama, G |
Henry Anderson, Stanford, DL |
Alex Kozan, Auburn, G |
David Andrews, Georgia, C |
Eric Lefeld, Cincinnati, OT |
Michael Bennett, Ohio State, DL |
Cyril Lemon, North Texas, G |
Evan Boehm, Missouri, C |
Luther Maddy, Virginia Tech, DL |
Jake Brendel, UCLA, C |
Shaquille Mason, Georgia Tech, G |
Malcom Brown, Texas, DL |
Josue Matias, Florida State, G |
A.J. Cann, South Carolina, G |
Mike Matthews, Texas A&M, C |
Le'Raven Clark, Texas Tech, OT |
Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss, DL |
La'el Collins, LSU, OT |
Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M, OT |
Jack Conklin, Michigan State, OT |
Andrus Peat, Stanford, OT |
Christian Covington, Rice, DL |
A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama, DL |
Carl Davis, Iowa, DL |
Corey Robinson, South Carolina, OT |
Sheldon Day, Notre Dame, DL |
Brandon Scherff, Iowa, OT |
Reese Dismukes, Auburn, C |
Isaac Seumalo, Oregon State, C |
Jamil Douglas, Arizona State, OT |
Brandon Shell, South Carolina, OT |
Spencer Drango, Baylor, OT |
Danny Shelton, Washington, DL |
Cameron Erving, Florida State, OT |
Jake Smith, Louisville, C |
Dominic Espinosa, Texas, C |
Donovan Smith, Penn State, OT |
B.J. Finney, Kansas State, C |
Quinton Spain, West Virginia, G |
Jake Fisher, Oregon, OT |
Laken Tomlinson, Duke, G |
Hroniss Grasu, Oregon, C |
Max Tuerk, USC, C |
Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin, OT |
Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss, OT |
Sean Hickey, Syracuse, OT |
Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern, C |
D.J. Humphries, Florida, OT |
Cody Whitehair, Kansas State, G |
Chucky Hunter, TCU, DL |
Cody Wichmann, Fresno State, G |
Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M, OT |
Daryl Williams, Oklahoma, OT |
Tré Jackson, Florida State, G |
Leonard Williams, USC, DL |
Grady Jarrett, Clemson, DL |
Torrian Wilson, UCF, G |
Kaleb Johnson, Rutgers, G |
Gabe Wright, Auburn, DL |
Tyler Johnstone, Oregon, OT |
Michael Yeck, BYU, OT |
By conference:
SEC 19, ACC 9, Big 12 9, Big Ten 9, Pac-12 11,
American Athletic 2, Conference USA 2, Independents 2,
Mountain West 1. |
By position:
Offensive Tackles 22, Offensive Guards 14, Centers 14,
Defensive Linemen/Tackles 14. |
Tackles,
guards and centers are eligible for consideration Candidates
may be added or removed during the season |
The list will be trimmed to six or seven semifinalists on Nov.
20. Four days later, three Outland Trophy finalists will be named
by the FWAA. The winner of the 69th Outland Trophy, named after
the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn at the turn
of the 20th century, will be announced on ESPN on The Home Depot
College Football Awards on Dec. 11 from Disney’s Boardwalk in Lake
Buena Vista, Fla. Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald won the
award last season.
The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater
Omaha Sports Committee, will be held on Jan. 15, 2015, in Omaha,
Neb. This year, Notre Dame’s Ross Browner, the 1976 Outland Trophy
winner, will be honored and presented an Outland Trophy, which was
not given in the era in which he won the award.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For
more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National
College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA
encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The
21 awards boast nearly 700 years of tradition-selection excellence.
Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
The members of the NCFAA are unveiling their preseason watch
lists over a 12-day period this month. Fifteen of the association’s
21 awards select a preseason watch list and the NCFAA has spearheaded
a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.
Following is the complete 2014 preseason watch list calendar:
July 7: Maxwell Award/Bednarik Award July 8: Mackey Award/Riminigton
Trophy July 9: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award July 10: Bronko
Nagurski Trophy/Outland Trophy July 11: Jim Thorpe Award July
14: Butkus Award/Rotary Lombardi Award July 15: Biletnikoff Award
July 16: Davey O'Brien Award July 17: Doak Walker Award July
18: Walter Camp Award
Related links: •
All-time Outland Trophy
winners • Outland
Trophy official site (outlandtrophy.com)
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