GREENSBORO, N.C. - Eight centers from the Atlantic Coast Conference - the second-highest total of any Power 5 conference - have been named to the Rimington Trophy 2018 Spring Watch List.
In order to create this list, the committee accepted nominations from programs across the country that submitted their current starting centers for consideration. This preseason, centers were nominated from every conference, with 57 total nominees and 27 past watch listers.
| Clemson |
Justin |
Falcinelli |
GRAD |
6'4 |
305 |
| Duke |
Zach |
Harmon |
RS SR |
6'3 |
285 |
| Florida State |
Alec |
Eberle |
RS SR |
6'4 |
295 |
| Georgia Tech |
Kenny |
Cooper |
JR |
6'3 |
307 |
| Miami |
Tyler |
Curtis Gauthier |
SR |
6'5 |
305 |
| NC State |
Garrett |
McCain Bradbury |
SR |
6'3 |
300 |
| Virginia Tech |
Kyle |
Chung |
RS SR |
6'3 |
310 |
| Wake Forest |
Ryan |
Anderson |
SR |
6'6 |
305 |
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 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 12, 2019.
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About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football. Since its inception, the seventeen-year old award has raised over $3.6 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis.
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 two-time 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
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Visit
www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.