2022 preseason Rimington Trophy watch list for nation's top center released

The Rimington Trophy announced its list of preseason candidates for the 2022 award on Friday. The award honors the nation’s best center every season and this year, the preseason list includes 40 of the country’s top returning players.

The Rimington Trophy partnered with football analytics company Pro Football Focus to combine PFF data and program nominations to create this year’s preseason watch list.

Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum won the Rimington Trophy in 2022 prior to going in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Hawkeye center finished the 2021 season as the highest-graded Power 5 center since 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. He had the highest offensive grade and run blocking grade. He became the first player from Iowa to win the Rimington.

Watch lists are also out for the Maxwell Award, the Davey O’Brien Award, the Doak Walker Award, the Biletnikoff Award and the John Mackey Award.

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Check out the full 2022 watch list for the Rimington Trophy.

Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List

Will Putnam, Clemson, SR
Jakai Clark, Miami, JR
Grant Gibson, North Carolina State, RS GRAD
Johnny Jordan, Virginia Tech, GRAD
Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest, JR
Jacob Likes, Memphis, RS JR
Sincere Haynesworth, Tulane, JR
Matt Lee, UCF, RS JR
Jacob Gall, Baylor, GRAD
Trevor Downing, Iowa State, RS SR
Mike Novitsky, Kansas, RS SR
Preston Wilson, Oklahoma State, SR JR
Steve Avila, TCU, SR
Zach Frazier, West Virginia, SO
Olu Oluwatimi, Michigan, GRAD
John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota, SR
Luke Wypler, Ohio State, Jr JR
Juice Scruggs, Penn State, RS SR
Gus Hartwig, Purdue, RS SO
Joe Tippmann, Wisconsin, JR
Will Rykard, UAB, RS JR
Rusty Staats, WKU, RS JR
Connor Pay, BYU, RS SO
Jarett Patterson, Notre Dame, GRAD
Jacob Gideon, Western Michigan, RS SO
Alama Uluave, San Diego State, SR
Matthew Cindric, California, SR
Alex Forsyth, Oregon, SR
Jake Levengood, Oregon State, RS JR
Drake Nugent, Stanford, SR
Brett Neilon, USC, RS SR
Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas, SR
Nick Brahms, Auburn, SR
Kingsley Eguakun, Florida, RS SO
Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, RS SO
LaQuinston Sharp, Mississippi State, RS SR
Bryce Foster, Texas A&M, SO
Willie Lampkin, Coastal Carolina, JR
Malik Sumter, Georgia State, RS SR
Jake Andrews, Troy, JR