Houston's Anthony Boswell Named to Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List
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Houston's offensive line received a nomination for a player who hasn't even played a snap for the Cougars, landing on a national award watch list.
Offensive lineman Anthony Boswell was named to the Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List on Thursday, August 6. The award goes to the most outstanding center in college football and Boswell's name could be at the top.
Here is what this means for Houston.
Boswell's Career
Boswell spent the 2025 season playing for Toledo. He did not surrender a single sack and allowed only six pressures on 403 pass-blocking snaps in all 12 games.
He was an All-MAC First Team selection and was graded No. 10 in offense, No. 3 in run blocking and No. 17 in pass blocking among FBS centers. That is extremely rare to find, since Boswell was a two-star prospect coming out of high school.
What does this mean for Houston?
Boswell steps into an opening with big shoes to fill. Former Houston offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter made 25 starts throughout four years, allowing only two sacks in his last two seasons.
The center position is where everything starts on the offense. The most important reason why this matters is to give quarterback Conner Weigman as much protection as possible against Big 12 defenses.
Offensive lineman Shadre Hurst was another player who received national recognition. He was named to the Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List and the Sporting News Preseason All-America First Team. Two linemen with three pieces of national recognition is not a coincidence but a warning.
The offensive line already made a jump in 2025, allowing only 19 sacks compared to 32 in 2024. Holding that number against a schedule that includes Texas Tech, Utah and UCF becomes a real test for the offensive line in 2026.
A safe and protected pocket gives Weigman more time to study defensive coverages and deliver perfect passes. They also protect Weigman's health, allowing him to be there when it matters most.
This also gives running back Makhi Hughes a better chance to run the ball efficiently. With Boswell and Shadre Hurst, Hughes could replicate or even surpass his 1,401 rushing yards in 2024 with Tulane.
Houston strives for a balanced offense, so having a player who can not only protect Weigman but also give Hughes a running lane makes the offensive line one step closer to becoming one of the best in the conference.
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Micah Clay is a staff writer for the Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a freshman at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Administration. He also works for The Cougar organization. You can find Clay on his Instagram(@mcjosh_btw_podcast)