Spartan Football Offensive Line Gets Tremendous Respect as C Jack Allen & LT Jack Conklin Named To Outland Trophy Watch List

The Outland Trophy has been presented to college football’s most outstanding interior lineman since 1946. EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State fifth-year

The Outland Trophy has been presented to college football’s most outstanding interior lineman since 1946.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State fifth-year senior center Jack Allen and junior offensive tackle Jack Conklin have been named to the 2015 Outland Trophy Watch List, according to an announcement made Friday, July 10 by the Football Writers Association of America. The Outland Trophy has been presented to college football’s most outstanding interior lineman since 1946. It marks the second-straight year the names of Allen and Conklin have appeared on the trophy’s preseason watch list.

The 82-player Outland Trophy Watch List features 11 players from the Big Ten. The names of 56 offensive linemen appear on the watch list, including seven from the Big Ten. In addition to Allen and Conklin, other Big Ten offensive linemen mentioned include: Indiana’s Dan Feeney (guard); Iowa’s Austin Blythe (center); Ohio State’s Taylor Decker (tackle) and Pat Elflein (guard); and Wisconsin’s Dan Voltz (center).

Allen and Conklin anchored the line for the most prolific offense in school history, as the Spartans set school single-season records for points (559), total offense (6,510 yards; 500.8 yards per game), offensive touchdowns (70), rushing touchdowns (44), scoring average (43.0 points per game), rushing yards (3,057) and first downs (321). MSU ranked second in the Big Ten and seventh in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring, averaging a school-record 43.0 points per game. The Spartans also ranked second in the Big Ten and 11th in the NCAA FBS in total offense, averaging a school-record 500.8 yards per game. In addition, MSU ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in passing offense (265.6 ypg.) and fifth in the Big Ten and 19th in the FBS in rushing offense (235.3 ypg.). The offensive line allowed just 11 sacks, which ranked as the fewest in the Big Ten and tied for third-fewest in the NCAA FBS, and paved the way for Jeremy Langford, who closed out his career with a school-record streak of 10 consecutive 100-yard rushing games.

“Obviously, I’m biased, but I truly believe Jack Allen and Jack Conklin are the best players at their respective positions in college football,” MSU offensive line coach Mark Staten said.

Earlier this week, Allen’s name appeared on the preseason watch list for the 2015 Rimington Trophy, presented to college football’s most outstanding center.

The 6-foot-2, 296-pound Allen earned first-team All-Big Ten (by both the league’s head coaches and media) and first-team USA TODAY All-America honors as a junior in 2014. He emerged as the first Spartan center to land on the All-Big Ten First Team since Jason Strayhorn in 1998. Allen became the first Michigan State offensive lineman to earn first-team All-America honors since 1997: tackle Flozell Adams (Walter Camp Football Foundation) and guard Scott Shaw (Gannett News Service). In addition, he became just the fourth center in Spartan history to earn first-team All-America honors, joining Dick Tamburo (1952), Dan Currie (1957) and Dave Behrman (1962).

Allen also was named All-American by The Associated Press (third team), Athlon Sports (fourth team), Phil Steele (fourth team) and SI.com (honorable mention). In addition, he received MSU’s Up Front Award as the team’s outstanding offensive lineman.

The Hinsdale, Illinois, native led the team with 18.5 dominators and ranked second with a career-best 85.5 knockdowns in 2014. Allen, who started 11 of MSU’s 13 games at center (missed the Wyoming and Indiana games with an ankle injury), didn’t allow a sack all season.

“Jack Allen is defined by his toughness, grit and never-give-into-defeat attitude,” Staten said. “His ability to lead our offense allowed MSU to break nearly every school record during his junior season. Others put up the statistical numbers and earned the headlines, but it doesn’t matter to Jack who gets the credit as long as his team is on the winning side of the score at the end of the game. Since his sophomore year and MSU’s Big Ten title run in 2013, Jack has understood that our offense relies on his energy and leadership in the huddle.

“He is a complete-team guy and it doesn’t stop on game days. Jack’s an outstanding student, with a 3.5-plus grade-point average in hospitality business, and he’s been involved in numerous community service projects, reading to school children and visiting the local hospital. He enjoys volunteering his time to help have a positive impact on others.

“Jack has spent the two previous offseasons studying video of NFL centers to help him gain an edge. Already a first-team All-American as a junior, he has the work ethic, passion and patience to become the most outstanding center in college football.”

He was named to AP’s and SI.com’s All-Bowl Teams after MSU gained 552 total yards, including 238 yards on the ground, as the Spartans rallied from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 42-41 victory over fifth-ranked Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic.

Allen was selected Spartan Offensive Player of the Week after producing six knockdowns, including two dominators, in MSU’s 34-10 victory in the regular-season finale at Penn State. It marked MSU’s largest margin of victory ever at State College, and the 34 points also were the most scored by a Spartan team at Penn State.

He compiled a career-best 12.5 knockdowns in the win over Michigan, including four dominators. In the Big Ten opener vs. No. 19 Nebraska, Allen recorded a team-best nine knockdowns. He was named the Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week vs. Eastern Michigan after leading the team with nine knockdowns as MSU rushed for 336 yards against the Eagles.

A three-year starter on the offensive line, Allen has played in 36 career games, including 35 starts (30 at center, five at left guard). He has registered 207.5 career knockdowns.

The 6-6, 325-pound Conklin has started 23 consecutive games at left tackle. A second-team All-Big Ten selection by both the league’s head coaches and media in 2014, he was named fourth-team All-American by Athlon Sports and to CollegeFootballNews.com’s All-Sophomore Team. In addition, Conklin was selected one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, presented to a former walk-on. Conklin played 959 out of a possible 994 offensive snaps (96 percent) and led the team with 113.5 knockdowns, including nine dominators. He allowed only 2.5 sacks all season and graded out the highest (83 percent) among Spartan offensive linemen during the regular season. Conklin didn’t surrender his first career sack until the 10th game of his sophomore season (at Maryland).

“Jack Conklin has been stifling the best defensive ends in the country for two years now,” Staten said. “Coaches don’t use stats to measure the impact of an offensive lineman; however, it’s hard not to pay attention to what our offense accomplished in 2014, the most prolific in MSU history. Jack played nearly 960 snaps last season, and he’s given up only two and a half sacks in 27 career games while protecting Connor Cook’s blindside. He was so steady last season that defensive coordinators began switching their best pass rushers to our right side to try and apply pressure on our quarterback.

“My biggest thrill in coaching Jack is watching his dominance and explosiveness in the running game. He takes great pride in blowing defensive lineman off the ball. The strength he possesses in his punch is better than anyone I have coached up to this point in my career. As a result of his competitive nature, Jack has launched himself from being an obscure walk-on to becoming a dominant All-American both on and off the field.”

In the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic, Conklin played a career-high 91 snaps, totaled nine knockdowns and helped limit Baylor All-America defensive end Shawn Oakman to just three tackles, as MSU produced 238 rushing yards against the nation’s ninth-ranked rushing defense. The Bears came into the game allowing only 107.7 rushing yards per game.

Conklin was selected Spartan Offensive Lineman of the Week a team-best four times during the regular season (vs. Rutgers, Purdue, Wyoming and Jacksonville State). He was credited with 9.5 knockdowns in the regular-season finale at Penn State, including two dominators.

The Plainwell, Michigan, native graded out the highest among Spartan offensive lineman (92 percent) and recorded 10.5 knockdowns against No. 14 Ohio State while being matched up against All-American Joey Bosa for most of the game. Bosa finished with only one tackle.

Conklin registered 15 knockdowns against Michigan. He produced 10 knockdowns each in back-to-back games at Purdue and Indiana. Conklin recorded a career-best 15.5 knockdowns against Wyoming. He posted the highest grade among Spartan offensive lineman at No. 3 Oregon while posting five knockdowns, including two dominators. Conklin had nine knockdowns, including two dominators, in the season opener against Jacksonville State.

He has appeared in 27 career games, including 26 starts. Conklin has recorded 168.5 career knockdowns.

The award is named in honor of John Outland, one of the few players in college football history to be named All-American at two positions: tackle in 1897 and halfback in 1898. A three-year letterman at the University of Pennsylvania, the 5-11, 192-pound Outland led the Quakers to a combined record of 35-4-3, including a perfect 15-0 in 1897. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Semifinalists for the Outland Trophy will be announced on Nov. 19. Three finalists for the award will be identified on Nov. 24, with the winner announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The formal presentation of the award will be made on Jan. 14, 2016, in Omaha, Nebraska.