Trio of Buckeye Linemen land on Outland Trophy Watch List
Three Ohio State offensive linemen have been named to the watch list for their position's most prestigious national honor. Wyatt Davis, Josh Myers and Thayer Munford were placed on the Outland Trophy Watch List on Tuesday afternoon.
The full list is available here.
Davis recently earned an incredibly special honor and could be considered a front-runner for this year's award. He was the only active player in the Big Ten Conference named to the Big Ten Network First Team All-Decade. Davis is a junior from Bellflower, California and is widely regarded as one of the top interior lineman in the country. He (alongside Myers and Munford) anchored an offensive line last season that saw JK Dobbins and Justin Fields run wild. The Buckeyes finished 2019 No. 3 in the country in scoring offense (46.9 points/game), No. 5 in rushing offense (266.7 yards/game) and No. 4 in total offense (529.9 yards/game).
Myers is a junior from Miamisburg, Ohio and is widely regarded as one of the best centers in the country. He earned second team All-Big Ten last year and played over 900 snaps for the Scarlet and Gray.
Munford, who stands at 6'6" and weighs 315 pounds, is Ohio State's top offensive tackle. He has started 26 games the last two seasons and played in 42 over the last three years. He is a senior from Cincinnati, Ohio. He has twice been recognized as an All-Big Ten selection.
He earned First Team All-American honors last year from three different media outlets, while taking Second-Team All-American recognition from three others.
In total, 12 linemen from the Big Ten were put on the watch list, with Ohio State's representation leading the way. In fact, the only school in the country with more players on the list is Alabama (four). Notre Dame also had three selections.
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually the three Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.
The Outland Trophy, now in its 75th year, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935.
The National College Football Awards Association will roll out watch lists over a two week stretch for all of the major national awards. They include:
July 13 - Bednarik Award (watch list includes Shaun Wade)
July 14 - Davey O'Brien Award (includes Justin Fields)
July 15 - Doak Walker Award
July 16 - Biletnikoff Award (includes Chris Olave)
July 17 - John Mackey Award (includes Luke Farrell)
July 20 - Butkus Award (includes Pete Werner, Tuf Borland and Baron Browning) and Paycom Jim Thorpe Award (includes Shaun Wade)
July 21 - Bronko Nagurski Trophy (includes Shaun Wade) and Outland Trophy
July 22 - Lou Groza Award and Ray Guy Award
July 23 - Paul Hornung Award and Wuerffel Trophy
July 24 - Maxwell Award
Stay tuned to BuckeyesNow and all of our social media outlets (@BuckeyesNowSI) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for continued coverage!
