FWAA Announces 2019 Outland Trophy Watch List
83 Players Listed for Nation’s Top Interior Lineman
The Football Writers Association of America has announced the preseason watch list for the 2019 Outland Trophy presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. This season’s list presents a rare wide-open field following the departure of all eight Outland Trophy semifinalists from a year ago and the return of only one FWAA All-American, offensive tackle Calvin Throckmorton of Oregon. The Ducks, along with Michigan, top the list with four selections among the 83 standout interior linemen representing all 10 Division I FBS conferences and independents.
Throckmorton, a senior from Bellevue, Wash., was a second-team FWAA All-American and is the lone member of the 2018 FWAA All-America Team on either interior line to return this season. He is joined by three teammates, center Jake Hanson, guard Shane Lemieux and defensive tackle Jordon Scott. Michigan has four members of its offensive front on the list – center Cesar Ruiz, guards Michael Onwenu and Ben Bredeson, and tackle Jon Runyan. Georgia has three players and 15 other schools have two representatives on the list of standouts.
University of Pittsburgh All-American Mark May, the 1980 Outland Trophy winner, will serve as the Outland Trophy #FightFlu ambassador for the upcoming season. May will make media appearances on behalf of the #FightFlu public awareness campaign to remind people to get their annual flu shots.
The recipient of the 74th Outland Trophy will be announced during ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12, live from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the NFID Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee on Jan. 15, 2020. Up to eight semifinalists will be named on Nov. 20 in Omaha and three finalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 25.
Frank Coyle is a long-time scout with nationwide ties with NFL and college coaches, scouts and player agents. He has published draftinsiders.com for 29 years including a 250 page Yearbook with 300 in-depth scouting reports. Long-time scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game and member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards – Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Lombardi, Thorpe, Biletnikoff etc for the past 27 years.
Candidates may be added or removed during the season. The distribution of watch list candidates is spread well among the conferences, with the Big Ten and SEC leading the way with 13 each. The Big 12 and Pac-12 are just behind with 12 apiece, followed by the ACC with 10 as well as the American Athletic (6), Independents and Mountain West (4 each), and Conference USA, Mid-American and Sun Belt (3 each). The list includes 32 offensive tackles, 19 defensive tackles, 18 guards and 14 centers.
2019 Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List (83)
OT Trey Adams, Washington OG Shane Lemieux, Oregon
OT Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas DT Ray Lima, Iowa State
OL Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson OT Walker Little, Stanford
OG Jack Anderson, Texas Tech OT Abraham Lucas, Washington State
OT Mekhi Becton, Louisville DL James Lynch, Baylor
C Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
DT Ross Blacklock, TCU DT Garrett Marino, UAB
DT Quinton Bohanna, Kentucky OT Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
OG Parker Braun, Texas OG John Molchon, Boise State
OG Ben Bredeson, Michigan C Jimmy Morrissey, Pitt
DT Derrick Brown, Auburn OT Thayer Munford, Ohio State
OL Jake Brown, UCF DT Larrell Murchison, N.C. State
C Levi Brown, Marshall DT Lorenzo Neal, Purdue
C Cohl Cabral, Arizona State OT Jake Nelson, Nevada
OT Brady Christensen, BYU OT Lucas Niang, TCU
OT Ezra Cleveland, Boise State OT Marcus Norman, USF
DT Doug Costin, Miami OG Michael Onwenu, Michigan
OT Coy Cronk, Indiana OT Miles Pate, WKU
OG Navaughn Donaldson, Miami DT John Penisini, Utah
OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame OT Benjamin Petrula, Boston College
OG Jovahn Fair, Temple C Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
DT Leki Fotu, Utah OT Jon Runyan, Michigan
DT Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma DT Jordon Scott, Oregon
C Jake Hanson, Oregon C Zach Shackelford, Texas
C Bryce Harris, Toledo OL Josh Sills, West Virginia
C Nick Harris, Washington OG John Simpson, Clemson
OT Charlie Heck, North Carolina OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
OT Justin Herron, Wake Forest OG Logan Stenberg, Kentucky
C Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma OT Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
OT Robert Hunt, Louisiana OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia
OL Keith Ismael, San Diego State OT Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon
OT Alaric Jackson, Iowa DT Khyiris Tonga, BYU
C Jordan Johnson, UCF OG Tre’Vour Wallace-Sims, Missouri
OT Victor Johnson, Appalachian State C Darryl Williams, Mississippi State
OT Josh Jones, Houston DT Raequan Williams, Michigan State
OG Luke Juriga, Western Michigan OT Jedrick Wills Jr., Alabama
OG Kirk Kelley, Troy OL Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
OL Solomon Kindley, Georgia DT Marvin Wilson, Florida State
DT Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina DT Robert Windsor, Penn State
OG Tommy Kraemer, Notre Dame OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
OG Gus Lavaka, Oregon State C Dustin Woodard, Memphis
OG Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
By conference: Big Ten 13, SEC 13, Big 12 12, Pac-12 12, ACC 10, American Athletic 6, Independents 4, Mountain West 4, Conference USA 3, Mid-American 3, Sun Belt 3.
By position: Offensive Tackles 32, Defensive Tackles 19, Offensive Guards 18, Centers 14.
Tackles, guards and centers are eligible for consideration Candidates may be added or removed during the season
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually the three 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.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the NCFAA.
The Outland Trophy, now in its 74th year, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.
About the Football Writers Association of America
Founded in 1941, the non-profit Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) consists of more than 1,300 members, including journalists, broadcasters, publicists and key executives in all areas of college football. Led by current President Matt Fortuna of The Athletic, longtime Executive Director Steve Richardson, and a board of veteran journalists, the association continues to grow and work to help college football prosper at all levels. Visit footballwriters.com for more information about the FWAA and its award programs.
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