SMU OL Branson Hickman lands on Rimington Trophy watch list

DALLAS (SMU)– SMU offensive lineman Branson Hickman has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Rimington Trophy, the organization announced on Friday. 

The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football. Since its inception, the award has raised over $5 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy’s only two-time winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman. For more on the Rimington Trophy, visit www.rimingtontrophy.com.

Hickman started all of last season for SMU at center, helping the Mustangs to national rankings of seventh in passing offense (316.7) and red zone offense (.919), 10th in third down conversion % (.478), 11th in first down offense (331) and 15th in total offense (472.8). Hickman was named a Pro Football Focus (PFF) All-AAC Third Team selection. As a freshman in 2021, Hickman saw action in nine games, including seven starts. He helped SMU to national rankings of ninth in scoring offense (38.4), 13th in total offense (465.9), 14th in passing offense (304.5) and 17th in sacks allowed (1.33).

The Trophy committee worked with PFF to narrow down its list to the top 40 centers. PFF grades every player on every play of every game on how well they execute their given assignment. That play-by-play grading allowed the Trophy committee to create a watchlist based both on nominations from the schools and data provided by PFF. Once the season begins, schools will be able to nominate their centers for late addition based on in-season merit. 

The Rimington Trophy committee uses these three prestigious teams to determine a winner: Walter Camp Foundation (WCF), Sporting News (SN), and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a “mix” of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11-man first teams can often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee’s policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the AllAmerica teams. The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy Committee, provided with data from Pro Football Focus.

About the Boomer Esiason Foundation
In 1993, Boomer Esiason’s son, Gunnar, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). Boomer and his wife Cheryl founded the Boomer Esiason Foundation to raise funds and awareness for the cystic fibrosis community. To date, the Foundation has raised over $160 million and works to provide educational and financial resources to help people living with CF in the here and now. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs, digestive system, and reproductive system of about 40,000 Americans by causing a thick build-up of mucus that leads to blockage, inflammation, and infection.

About Pro Football Focus
Since 2006, PFF has separated themselves from the pack in their ability to provide game-changing data supported through studying every player, on every play, of every game. In 2014, they began to do so for college football. In 2023, PFF’s college analysts, led by Max Chadwick, supported the Rimington Trophy in creating the Watchlist.

About the NCFAA
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. NCFAA Watch List Calendar Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.

Editor’s Note: SMU press release.