Fighting Irish Offensive Lineman Nominated for Lombardi Award

Offensive lineman Billy Schrauth has been named to the Lombardi Award Watch List. The award, which goes to the nation's most outstanding lineman, will be presented on Dec. 10 in Houston.

Notre Dame offensive lineman Billy Schrauth participates in a drill during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Billy Schrauth has been selected to the Lombardi Award Watch List. This is the junior's first preseason honor.

The news of the honor was released by Notre Dame Athletics on Tuesday morning.

The Lombardi Award was first established in 1970 in memory of legendary coach Vince Lombardi. It is presented to outstanding linemen who best epitomize his values of leadership, courage, performance, and discipline on and off the field. Furthermore, the watchlist includes players who are consistently showing the values of strength, agility, and football acumen in their respective positions.

The 2025 watchlist reflects a diverse distribution across eligible positions. There are 10 defensive ends, seven defensive tackles, 12 linebackers on defense; 11 offensive tackles, six offensive guards, five centers, and three tight ends.

This talented group showcases strong representation from the nation’s top conferences, with 16 players from the SEC, 12 from the Big Ten, 5 from the Big 12, and 7 from the ACC, complemented by exceptional talent from the Mountain West, MAC, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Independent Conferences.

The Fighting Irish have had five previous winners of the award. Defensive end Walt Patulski (1971), defensive end Ross Browner (1977), defensive tackle Chris Zorich (1990), offensive lineman Aaron Taylor (1993), and outside linebacker/edge rusher Manti Te’o (2012).

Mar 26, 2013; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish former player Manti Te'o answers questions at a news conference at the Guglielmino Athletics Complex after Notre Dame pro day. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Notre Dame has had numerous student-athletes who were finalists for the Lombardi Award. These great players would include guard Larry DiNardo (1970), defensive lineman Steve Niehaus (1975), defensive lineman Ross Browner (1976), tight end Ken MacAfee (1977), linebacker Bob Crable (1981), defensive lineman Chris Zorich (1989), offensive lineman Aaron Taylor (1992) and offensive tackle Joe Alt (2023).

For Schrauth, the junior started 12 games of 2024 for the Irish. He was part of an offensive line unit that paved the way for Notre Dame’s rushing offense to rank fourth among the Power 4 in yards per carry with 5.66. They also ranked No. 7 among all FBS teams in that category. The Irish ranked No. 6 among Power 4 teams in rushing offense with 210.8 yards per game.

The Irish led all Power 4 teams and ranked third among all FBS programs with 45 rushing touchdowns.

Notre Dame outrushed their opponents’ average yards allowed entering the game in every game of the 2024 season. The Irish rushed for an average of 84.69 yards more than each opponent’s average rushing yards allowed entering the game. They also beat the average yards per carry allowed by a whopping 2.27 yards.

Notre Dame’s offensive line group was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, honoring the nation’s top offensive line unit, in both 2023 and 2024. The offensive line is one of the strongest parts of the Fighting Irish team this season.

The 2025 award dinner is scheduled for December 10, 2025 in Houston. Net proceeds from gala sponsorships and table sales are dedicated to supporting cancer research.

For more Irish news & notes, follow Scott Salomon on Twitter @ScottSalomonNFL.