OMAHA (FWAA) Six semifinalists for the
2015 Outland Trophy five offensive linemen and
one defensive tackle were announced on Thursday night during a
reception hosted by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee.
The Football Writers Association of America
(FWAA), in a call of its 2015 All-America Committee, has determined
the following six players as semifinalists for the award, in alphabetical
order: Baylor offensive tackle Spencer Drango,
Stanford offensive guard Joshua Garnett, Alabama
center Ryan Kelly, Alabama defensive tackle
A'Shawn Robinson, Indiana offensive tackle
Jason Spriggs and Notre Dame offensive tackle
Ronnie Stanley.
The field for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the best
interior lineman in college football on offense or defense, will
be reduced to three players early next week. Those finalists will
be announced the evening of Nov. 24 on ESPNU at 5 p.m. ET during
The Home Depot College Football Awards Nomination Special. The winner
of the 70th Outland Trophy will be revealed on Dec. 10 from 7-9
p.m. ET on ESPN on The Home Depot College Football Awards, for the
first time live from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Here is a look at the semifinalists:
Spencer Drango, OT, Baylor (6-6, 320, Sr., Cedar Park,
Texas): An Outland Trophy semifinalist in 2014, Drango
has 44 career starts for the powerful Bears offense. He is also
a William V. Campbell Trophy finalist (top academic player). The
veteran Baylor offensive lineman has allowed just 11 sacks in nine
games. He is in his fourth season as a starting left tackle for
an offense that is currently on pace to break FBS records for scoring
in a season and total yards gained per game. The Baylor offense
is No. 1 in scoring and fifth in rushing this season in the FBS
and Drango is the unquestioned leader on the line.
Joshua Garnett, OG, Stanford (6-5, 321, Sr., Puyallup,
Wash.): A veteran guard who has been a dominant run blocker
for the Cardinal, which has scored 30 points in each of its past
nine games. He has started 25 straight games for Stanford, which
has rushed for at least 100 yards in 44 of its last 47 games. A
team captain, Garnett is a great finisher of blocks and through
eight games had 64 pancakes. He has helped Stanford win the time
of possession battle in 15 of the last 16 games with consistent
line play. Stanford is 16th in the FBS in rushing offense and 22nd
in scoring.
Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama (6-5, 297, Sr., West Chester,
Ohio): A William V. Campbell Trophy (top academic player)
semifinalist, Kelly is the leader of Alabama's offensive line, which
paves the way for Heisman Trophy candidate running back Derrick
Henry. Kelly, a third-year starter at center and captain, was named
the Southeastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week after
Alabama's 30-16 victory over LSU in which the Tide gained 250 yards
rushing. In that game, Kelly graded out at 92 percent. He also was
one of the Alabama coaches' offensive players of the game against
Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee and LSU.
A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama (6-4, 312, Jr., Fort Worth,
Texas): A talented defender on the Crimson Tide's line
who has been one of the Alabama coaches' defensive players of the
game five times this season. He set the tone in the Crimson Tide's
31-6 victory at Mississippi State last week with 2.5 sacks. He leads
the team with eight quarterback hurries and has made a career-high
34 tackles this season, including seven tackles for 23 yards in
losses. In addition, he has broken up two passes, recovered a fumble
and blocked a kick.
Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana (6-7, 305, Sr., Elkhart, Ind.):
In his senior season for the Hoosiers, he has allowed just two sacks
in 365 called pass plays. He has started in 44 of 45 career games
and has 56 pancakes in 805 snaps this season. The Hoosiers lead
the Big Ten in total offense, are second in passing offense, third
in rushing offense and fourth in scoring offense.
Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame (6-5, 315, Sr., Las Vegas,
Nev.): Considered a top NFL prospect for a team that is
23rd in the nation in rushing offense and 30th in scoring. Stanley
has started every game this season at left tackle and has started
36 straight games overall for the Fighting Irish, whose only loss
this season came at now top-ranked Clemson, 24-22.
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
1900s. The Outland Trophy is the third-oldest award in major college
football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.
For the 19th consecutive year, the presentation banquet of the
Outland Trophy will occur in Omaha. The official 2015 Outland Trophy
presentation to the winner will be on Jan. 14, 2016, at a banquet
sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. At the same banquet,
former Maryland defensive lineman Randy White will receive an Outland
Trophy. He was the 1974 winner of the award, before trophies were
handed out by the FWAA. The former Dallas Cowboys star is a member
of the College Football Hall of Fame.
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 22 awards boast
more than 700 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit ncfaa.org
to learn more about our story.
Celebrating its 75th season, the Football Writers Association
of America, a non-profit organization, 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 game-day 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 Greater Omaha Sports Committee, founded
in 1977, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, consisting of more
than 900 men and women from the City of Omaha, the State of Nebraska,
and others. The membership serves to communicate, develop, initiate
and promote sports activities in the Greater Omaha sports area.
In addition to the Outland Trophy Award Dinner, the Greater Omaha
Sports Committee promotes high school, college, and professional
sports in the Greater Omaha area and the Midwest.
2015 FWAA ALL-AMERICA
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