2017 Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List

July 29, 2017 by FWAA

NOTE: CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the nominating panel of the Outland Trophy.

DALLAS  - The Football Writers Association of America announced its 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List with 81 standout interior linemen from all 10 Division I FBS conferences represented.

Two of the three 2016 Outland Trophy finalists are on the 2017 watch list - Washington State’s senior offensive guard Cody O’Connell and Texas junior offensive tackle Connor Williams. Both were first-team FWAA All-Americans in 2016 and finished behind Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson, who claimed the 2016 Outland Trophy and was selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft (No. 34 overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In addition, there are four other 2016 FWAA All-Americans on the 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List: Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (first team), and Washington offensive tackle Trey Adams, Oklahoma offensive tackle Orlando Brown and Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver from the second team.

The ACC (17) led all conferences with members on the Watch List, followed by the Big Ten and SEC (11 each), Pac-12 (10), American Athletic (9), Big 12 and Mid-American (6 each), Independents and Mountain West (4 each), Conference USA (2) and Sun Belt (1).

The list includes 24 offensive tackles, 21 defensive tackles, 20 centers and 16 offensive guards.

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.

G Tony Adams, N.C. State
OT Evan Lisle, Duke
OT Trey Adams, Washington
OT Greg Little, Ole Miss
C Brian Allen, Michigan State
DT Lowell Lotulelei, Utah
DT Drew Bailey, Louisville
G Evan Martin, Navy
C Jake Bennett, Colorado State
OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
G Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin
C Chandler Miller, Tulsa
G Kyle Bosch, West Virginia
DT David Moa, Boise State
C Bradley Bozeman, Alabama
G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
G Parker Braun, Georgia Tech
OT Elijah Nkansah, Toledo
C Evan Brown, SMU
DT Derrick Nnadi, Florida State
OT Orlando Brown, Oklahoma
DT Kendrick Norton, Miami
OT Geron Christian, Louisville
G Cody O'Connell, Washington State
C Will Clapp, LSU
C Alex Officer, Pitt
C Mason Cole, Michigan
OT Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan
OT Austin Corbett, Nevada
DT Ed Oliver, Houston
OT Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
OT Brian O'Neill, Pitt
G Tyrone Crowder, Clemson
DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama
C James Daniels, Iowa
DT Harrison Phillips, Stanford
C Austin Davis, Duke
DT Jamiyus Pittman, UCF
C Michael Deiter, Wisconsin
OT Evan Plagg, Tulsa
G O'Shea Dugas, Louisiana Tech
C Billy Price, Ohio State
C Alex Eberle, Florida State
C Jake Pruehs, Ohio
DT Folorunso Fatukasi, UConn
C Scott Quessenberry, UCLA
G Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas
C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
DT Greg Gaines, Washington
DT Steven Richardson, Minnesota
OT Nick Gates, Nebraska
OT Dalton Risner, Kansas State
DT Will Geary, Kansas State
G Jashon Robertson, Tennessee
G Colby Gossett, Appalachian State
OT Max Scharping, NIU
DT Rasheem Green, USC
C Austin Schlottmann, TCU
G Will Hernandez, UTEP
DT Deadrin Senat, USF
DT B.J. Hill, N.C. State
C Coleman Shelton, Washington
DT Maurice Hurst, Michigan
OT Braden Smith, Auburn
OT Mitch Hyatt, Clemson
OT Bentley Spain, North Carolina
OT Martez Ivey, Florida
DT Trent Thompson, Georgia
OT Jamarco Jones, Ohio State
OT Brett Toth, Army West Point
C John Keenoy, Western Michigan
DT Vita Vea, Washington
C Tejan Koroma, BYU
G Sean Welsh, Iowa
G Gabe Kuhn, Memphis
DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson
DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson
OT Connor Williams, Texas
G Jimmy Leatiota, Eastern Michigan
OT Jonah Williams, Alabama
OT Archie Lewis, Boise State

By conference: ACC 17, Big Ten 11, SEC 11, Pac-12 10, American Athletic 9, Big 12 6, Mid-American 6, Independents 4, Mountain West 4, Conference USA 2, Sun Belt 1.

By position: Offensive Tackles 24, Centers 20, Defensive Tackles 21, Offensive Guards 16.

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 Wed., Nov. 15. Six days later, three Outland Trophy finalists will be named by the FWAA. The winner of the 72nd Outland Trophy – named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn at the turn of the 20th century – will be announced live on ESPN at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thurs., Dec. 7. For the third straight year, the show will air from the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.