2015 Spring Watch List Released
The Rimington Trophy Committee has released its 2015 Spring Watch List, which includes 52 of the best centers in Division I football. The athletes included on this list have demonstrated excellence at the center position in the past and are predicted to do so again in the 2015-2016 season.
The following is a list of those named to the 2015 Spring Watch List:
Conference
School
First Name
Last Name
Class Year
Height
Weight
Am. Athl.
Cincinnatti
Deyshawn
Bond
JR
6'2
298
Connecticut
Ryan
Crozier
SO
6'4
294
Memphis
Gabe
Kuhn
RS SO
6'4
290
SMU
Taylor
Lasecki
SR
6'2
294
Temple
Kyle
Friend
SR
6'2
305
ACC
Clemson
Ryan
Norton
SR
6'3
285
Georgia Tech
Freddie
Burden
RS JR
6'3
302
North Carolina
Lucas
Crowley
JR
6'3
290
Pittsburgh
Alex
Officer
RS SO
6'4
335
Big Ten
Iowa
Austin
Blythe
SR
6'3
290
Michigan State
Jack
Allen
RS SR
6'2
295
Ohio State
Jacoby
Boren
SR
6'2
285
Purdue
Robert
Kugler
SR
6'3
294
Wisconsin
Dan
Voltz
JR
6'3
311
Big 12
Baylor
Kyle
Fuller
JR
6'5
305
Oklahoma
Ty
Darlington
SR
6'2
299
TCU
Joey
Hunt
SR
6'3
295
Texas
Taylor
Doyle
SR
6'4
303
Texas Tech
Jared
Kaster
SR
6'3
293
West Virginia
Tyler
Orlosky
RS JR
6'4
297
C-USA
Louisiana Tech
Kirby
Wixson
SR
6'4
325
Marshall
Michael
Selby
JR
6'2
276
Middle Tennessee
Josh
Chester
RS JR
6'3
305
North Texas
Kaydon
Kirby
JR
6'3
329
UTEP
Eric
Lee
SR
6'1
295
WKU
Max
Halpin
RS JR
6'3
295
MAC
Ball State
Jacob
Richard
RS SR
6'1
275
Bowling Green
Tim
McAullife
RS SO
6'0
275
Central Mich.
Nick
Beamish
SR
6'3
310
Eastern Mich.
Jake
Hurcombe
RS JR
6'1
295
Massachusetts
Matt
Sparks
SR
6'4
280
Northern Illinois
Andrew
Ness
SR
6'3
298
Mtn. West
Fresno State
Bo
Bonnheim
SR
6'2
283
Utah State
Austin
Stephens
JR
6'3
305
Pac-12
Arizona State
Nick
Kelly
SR
6'2
294
Colorado
Alex
Kelley
JR
6'2
310
Oregon State
Josh
Mitchell
SR
6'3
306
Stanford
Graham
Shuler
SR
6'4
287
UCLA
Jake
Brendel
RS SR
6'4
285
USC
Max
Tuerk
SR
6'6
285
Utah
Siaosi
Aiono
SR
6'2
305
SEC
Alabama
Ryan
Kelly
SR
6'5
301
Arkansas
Mitch
Smothers
SR
6'3
315
Kentucky
Jon
Toth
JR
6'5
295
LSU
Ethan
Pocic
JR
6'7
301
Missouri
Evan
Boehm
SR
6'3
320
South Carolina
Alan
Knott
RS SO
6'4
268
Texas A&M
Mike
Matthews
SR
6'2
290
Vanderbilt
Spencer
Pulley
RS SR
6'4
305
Sun Belt
Troy
Dalton
Bennett
SR
6'3
301
Indpt.
Army
Matt
Hugenberg
SR
6'5
309
Notre Dame
Nick
Martin
Grad.
6'4.5
301
While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee used these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:
· Walter Camp Foundation (WCF)
· Sporting News (SN)
· Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)
Because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a "mix" of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11- man first teams can often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee's policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the four All- America teams.
The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy committee. The winner will be recognized at the Rimington Trophy Presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday, January 16, 2016.
* * *
About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.6 million for the cystic fibrosis community. The award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $115 million for CF Research.
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 double winner as the nation's finest college interior lineman.
For more on the Rimington Trophy and a list of past recipients, visit www.rimingtontrophy.com
About the NCFAA
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 679 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about its story.
The Rimington Trophy Committee has released its 2015 Spring Watch List, which includes 52 of the best centers in Division I football. The athletes included on this list have demonstrated excellence at the center position in the past and are predicted to do so again in the 2015-2016 season.
The following is a list of those named to the 2015 Spring Watch List:
Conference
School
First Name
Last Name
Class Year
Height
Weight
Am. Athl.
Cincinnatti
Deyshawn
Bond
JR
6'2
298
Connecticut
Ryan
Crozier
SO
6'4
294
Memphis
Gabe
Kuhn
RS SO
6'4
290
SMU
Taylor
Lasecki
SR
6'2
294
Temple
Kyle
Friend
SR
6'2
305
ACC
Clemson
Ryan
Norton
SR
6'3
285
Georgia Tech
Freddie
Burden
RS JR
6'3
302
North Carolina
Lucas
Crowley
JR
6'3
290
Pittsburgh
Alex
Officer
RS SO
6'4
335
Big Ten
Iowa
Austin
Blythe
SR
6'3
290
Michigan State
Jack
Allen
RS SR
6'2
295
Ohio State
Jacoby
Boren
SR
6'2
285
Purdue
Robert
Kugler
SR
6'3
294
Wisconsin
Dan
Voltz
JR
6'3
311
Big 12
Baylor
Kyle
Fuller
JR
6'5
305
Oklahoma
Ty
Darlington
SR
6'2
299
TCU
Joey
Hunt
SR
6'3
295
Texas
Taylor
Doyle
SR
6'4
303
Texas Tech
Jared
Kaster
SR
6'3
293
West Virginia
Tyler
Orlosky
RS JR
6'4
297
C-USA
Louisiana Tech
Kirby
Wixson
SR
6'4
325
Marshall
Michael
Selby
JR
6'2
276
Middle Tennessee
Josh
Chester
RS JR
6'3
305
North Texas
Kaydon
Kirby
JR
6'3
329
UTEP
Eric
Lee
SR
6'1
295
WKU
Max
Halpin
RS JR
6'3
295
MAC
Ball State
Jacob
Richard
RS SR
6'1
275
Bowling Green
Tim
McAullife
RS SO
6'0
275
Central Mich.
Nick
Beamish
SR
6'3
310
Eastern Mich.
Jake
Hurcombe
RS JR
6'1
295
Massachusetts
Matt
Sparks
SR
6'4
280
Northern Illinois
Andrew
Ness
SR
6'3
298
Mtn. West
Fresno State
Bo
Bonnheim
SR
6'2
283
Utah State
Austin
Stephens
JR
6'3
305
Pac-12
Arizona State
Nick
Kelly
SR
6'2
294
Colorado
Alex
Kelley
JR
6'2
310
Oregon State
Josh
Mitchell
SR
6'3
306
Stanford
Graham
Shuler
SR
6'4
287
UCLA
Jake
Brendel
RS SR
6'4
285
USC
Max
Tuerk
SR
6'6
285
Utah
Siaosi
Aiono
SR
6'2
305
SEC
Alabama
Ryan
Kelly
SR
6'5
301
Arkansas
Mitch
Smothers
SR
6'3
315
Kentucky
Jon
Toth
JR
6'5
295
LSU
Ethan
Pocic
JR
6'7
301
Missouri
Evan
Boehm
SR
6'3
320
South Carolina
Alan
Knott
RS SO
6'4
268
Texas A&M
Mike
Matthews
SR
6'2
290
Vanderbilt
Spencer
Pulley
RS SR
6'4
305
Sun Belt
Troy
Dalton
Bennett
SR
6'3
301
Indpt.
Army
Matt
Hugenberg
SR
6'5
309
Notre Dame
Nick
Martin
Grad.
6'4.5
301
While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee used these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:
· Walter Camp Foundation (WCF)
· Sporting News (SN)
· Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)
Because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a "mix" of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11- man first teams can often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee's policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the four All- America teams.
The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy committee. The winner will be recognized at the Rimington Trophy Presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday, January 16, 2016.
* * *
About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.6 million for the cystic fibrosis community. The award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $115 million for CF Research.
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 double winner as the nation's finest college interior lineman.
For more on the Rimington Trophy and a list of past recipients, visit www.rimingtontrophy.com
About the NCFAA
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 679 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about its story.