Utah's Braeden Daniels and Junior Tafuna named to Outland Trophy Watch List
On Tuesday Utah's Braeden Daniels and Junior Tafuna were named to the Outland Trophy Watch List.
Presented since 1946, the Outland Trophy is presented annually to the top interior lineman in college football.
In 35 appearances with 29 starts, Daniels has become a staple of Utah's offensive line in his time with the program. Starting in all 14 games in 2021, Daniels operated at both guard and tackle while helping the Utes become the No. 1 rushing offense ranking in the league and ranking in the top-10 nationally in sacks allowed per game.
For his efforts last season, Daniels earned Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week after Utah’s win at Stanford and was named All-Pac-12 second-team.
Another pleasant surprise amongst Utah's young defense in 2021, Tafuna recorded 33 tackles (5.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks), a pass breakup and a fumble recovery in 11 starts at defensive tackle.
For his efforts, Tafuna ranked second among freshmen in the Pac-12 in total sacks, third on the team quarterback sacks, was awarded the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week after the Oregon victory and was named Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
The winner of the trophy will be announced on Dec. 8 at The Home Depot College Football Awards and will be presented to the recipient at the awards dinner in January 2023.
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