The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) has released it watch list for potential winners of the prestigious 2012 Outland Trophy. The Trophy, presented annually since 1946, is the third oldest award in major college football.
The award, which goes to the best interior lineman in college football, is chosen by the FWAA, and is named after the late John Outland, an All-American lineman from Penn and Kansas.
Last year’s winner, Senior Barrett Jones from defending national champion Alabama, is at the top of a list of 71 players from across the country, including centers, tackles, guards on both sides of the ball. Jones will seek to become only the second player to ever win back-to-back Outland Trophies. Nebraska center Dave Rimington won the trophy consecutively in 1981 and 1982.
The players on the watch list include 18 defensive tackles, while all the rest are all offensive linemen. Every Division I Bowl Subdivision conference, as well as independents Brigham Young University and Notre Dame, is represented on the list.
Representation by conference: SEC (19), Big Ten (12), ACC (11), Big 12 (7), Pac-12 (7), Big East (4), Independents (3), Mountain West (3), WAC (2), Conference USA (1), MAC (1), Sun Belt (1).
The winner is chosen from three finalists who have been named to the FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee selects the 25-man team and, then chooses the the three Outland finalists. Those names will be released on Nov. 19, and then committee members will select the winner by individual ballot.
The winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 6 on ESPN.
2012 OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
OT Oday Aboushi, Virginia
G Alvin Bailey, Arkansas
OT David Bakhtiari, Colorado
G Chris Barker, Nevada
C Mario Benavides, Louisville
DT Josh Boyd, Mississippi State
C Braxston Cave, Notre Dame
G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina
DT Everett Dawkins, Florida State
DT Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
OT Chris Faulk, LSU
C James Ferentz, Iowa
DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida
OT D.J. Fluker, Alabama
G Blaize Foltz, TCU
C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin
C Dalton Freeman, Clemson
G Theo Goins, UCF
C Ben Habern, Oklahoma
DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State
G Braden Hansen, BYU
OT Caylin Hauptmann, FIU
DT Jordan Hill, Penn State
C Khaled Holmes, USC
OT Alex Hurst, LSU
OT James Hurst, North Carolina
G Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma
G Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
DT John Jenkins, Georgia
DT Timmy Jernigan, Florida State
OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
C T.J. Johnson, South Carolina
OT Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt
C Barrett Jones, Alabama
G Joe Kellogg, Boise State
C Tyler Larsen, Utah State
OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan
DT Bennie Logan, LSU
G Spencer Long, Nebraska
DT Star Lotulelei, Utah
OT Zack Martin, Notre Dame
OT Jake Matthews, Texas A&M
G Chris McDonald, Michigan State
C Andrew Miller, Virginia Tech
OT Morgan Moses, Virginia
DT Roosevelt Nix, Kent State
C Graham Pocic, Illinois
OT Mark Popek, USF
OT Justin Pugh, Syracuse
G Cyril Richardson, Baylor
C Weston Richburg, Colorado State
DT Kawann Short, Purdue
DT Akeem Spence, Illinois
DT Baker Steinkuhler, Nebraska
OT Matt Summers-Gavin, California
C Travis Swanson, Arkansas
G Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State
G Dallas Thomas, Tennessee
DT Aaron Tipoti, California
G Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech
DT Joe Vellano, Maryland
OT LaAdrian Waddle, Texas Tech
OT Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin
G Mason Walters, Texas
G Larry Warford, Kentucky
G Chance Warmack, Alabama
C Stephen Warner, Louisiana Tech
DT Jesse Williams, Alabama
DT Sylvester Williams, North Carolina
G David Yankey, Stanford
G Carson York, Oregon
