Landen Hatchett Lumped Among Nation's Top Centers

As advertised, Landen Hatchett has been an accomplished player since he joined the University of Washington football team in 2023.

He played a lot as a freshman for the national runner-up finisher.

Started at guard and center for half the season as a sophomore.

Was an anchor at center for the Husky offensive line and started every game he played as a junior.

In fact, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound Hatchett has done just about everything except receive individual recognition for his exemplary play.

That's largely because his first and third seasons ended early after he suffered injuries that required surgery and he ended up as a Husky in recovery to begin his second campaign

Hatchett, however, has not been forgotten, by any means.

On Thursday, an hour before the first Husky fall practice began, the veteran UW snapper turned up among 40 players named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, a reward given to the nation's top center.

🙌 @LandenHatchett named to the @RimingtonTrophy preseason watch list. Bow Down ☔️

➡️ https://t.co/2AiRMMw32F pic.twitter.com/qaEd9Bo6ao
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) August 6, 2026

The Rimington Trophy is named for Dave Rimington, a two-time, first-team All-American center for Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, and a first-round NFL draft pick for the Cincinnati Bengals, taken with the 25th overall pick.

In a lot of ways, Rimington and Hatchett are similar as players, especially when it comes to personal details.

While the Cornhuskers standout hailed from Omaha, Nebraska, in a Midwest city surrounded by sprawling farmland in all directions, Hatchett grew up in Ferndale, Washington, a rural town some 100 miles north of Husky Stadium.

They carry comparable dimensions, with Rimington measuring 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds when he played, and provide plenty of athleticism at their position.

If Hatchett can stay healthy and his team can win a lot of games, he could make a serious run at this Rimington Trophy.

Landen Hatchett prepares to snap the ball against Ohio State. | Dave Sizer photo

For now, he's one of 13 Big Ten centers on the watch list, with 11 more coming from the SEC, four singled out from the Big 12 and three candidates emerging from the ACC.

Mark Nabou Jr., a 6-foot-4, 330-pound center for Texas A&M, is another watch list receiipent.

If that name sounds familiar, he was an O'Dea High School product who committed to the hometown Huskies in 2021 only to flip to the SEC school during the fallout of the Jimmy Lake firing that removed him as the UW coach.

Hatchett joined the Husky program two years later after choosing the Huskies over Oregon, Michigan, USC ... and Texas A&M.

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