Nine Players From ACC Selected to Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List: ACC Daily

The last two winners of the Lombardi Award from the Atlantic Coast Conference were Aaron Donald (Pitt) and Luke Keuchly (Boston College).

Oct 5, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa (61) blocks against California Golden Bears linebacker David Reese (7) during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The name Vince Lombardi should surely ring a bell for any football fan in the country. Arguably the most prized trophy in American sports, the Lombardi Trophy, is awarded to the winner of the Super Bowl each year.

But there is another award with Lombardi’s name on it that goes out to college football players at the end of each season as well. That award is called the Lombardi Award, which honors the college football offensive and defensive lineman who best embodies the character, discipline, and excellence of the NFL Hall of Fame former head coach of the Green Bay Packers.

The recipient of the annual award must also demonstrate outstanding performance and ability on the field.

There are certain qualifications to be considered for the award.

Players must be an NCAA FBS College Football team member and meet a certain list of requirements.

Those include: a down lineman, end to end, either on offense or defense, setting up no further than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball at the time of the snap; a linebacker on defense, setting up no further than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage; must not come out of the offensive backfield and set up on the line of scrimmage as a blocker or a receiver listed in the program or as an offensive back or receiver; eligible to participate in the current season.

The Lombardi Award, celebrating its 52nd anniversary this season, and is presented in Houston, Tex., also makes a preseason watch list, consisting of players from every conference in FBS before the start of the college football season.

This year, nine players from the Atlantic Coast Conference were named to the 2025 Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List:

• Sammy Brown, Clemson, Sophomore, Linebacker

• Blake Miller, Clemson, Senior, Offensive Tackle

• T.J. Parker, Clemson, Junior, Defensive End

• Peter Woods, Clemson, Junior, Defensive Tackle

• Brian Parker II, Duke, Redshirt-Junior, Offensive Tackle

• Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech, Senior, Offensive Guard

• Rueben Bain Jr., Miami, Junior, Defensive End

• Francis Mauigoa, Miami, Junior, Offensive Tackle

• Kyle Louis, Pitt, Junior, Linebacker

Power Players 📈

9 ACC standouts named to the Lombardi Award Watch List – honoring the most outstanding College Football Lineman. pic.twitter.com/rRE4Zu8UQI

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) August 12, 2025

The last player to be selected for the Lombardi Award from the ACC was Pitt’s Aaron Donald, who proceeded to have an illustrious, future NFL Hall of Fame career with the Los Angeles Rams—previously in St. Louis.

Kelvin Banks Jr. from Texas is the most recent winner of the award, and Luke Keuchly, from Boston College, received the honor in 2012 before heading to the NFL and becoming one of the best players in Carolina Panthers’ franchise history, along with one of the best linebackers the NFL has ever seen.