DALLAS (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America has announced the preseason watch list for the 2025 Outland Trophy, recognizing 50 returning standout interior linemen representing nine of the FBS conferences and Independents. The 2025 season will close with the award's 80th winner selected from players spread among at least 35 different programs that includes one returning FWAA All-American.
The recipient of the 2025 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN on Friday, Dec. 12. The official trophy presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee on Jan. 21, 2026 in Omaha, Neb.
There are 16 offensive tackles and 15 guards on this year’s list to go with 10 defensive tackles and nine centers.
Two programs – Alabama and Oregon – have three members on the list spread across their offensive line. Each program has had an Outland Trophy winner within the last six seasons. Alabama, which has the lone returning FWAA All-American in center Parker Brailsford, also has guard Jaeden Roberts and offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor listed. Three of the last nine Outland Trophy winners have come from Alabama. Oregon’s trio begins with center Iapani Laloulu and extends with two top transfers in guard Emmanuel Pregnon (from USC) and offensive tackle Isaiah World (Nevada). Oregon’s lone Outland Trophy winner was offensive tackle Penei Sewell from the 2019 season.
Those two programs lead the two conferences leaders, as the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conferences each have 11 representatives. The Big 12 is just behind with 10. There are 13 programs with two or more players on the list. Texas, from which the last two Outland Trophy winners have come (defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat in 2023, offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. last season), is represented again by guard DJ Campbell.
Defending College Football Playoff national champion Ohio State has one member from each side of the ball in guard Tegra Tshabola and defensive tackle Eddrick Houston. Notre Dame, last year’s national runner-up, boasts guard Billy Schrauth and offensive tackle Aamil Wagner. Penn State, a national semifinalist a year ago, has defensive tackle Zane Durant and guard Olaivavega Ioane on opposite sides of the ball as well.
Army, which led the FBS in rushing last season at 300.5 yards per game, has two players on the list in guard Paolo Gennarelli and center Brady Small. Boise State offensive tackle Kage Casey makes the list as a returning starter who blocked for last year’s national rushing phenom, Ashton Jeanty. Liberty, which was fourth in team rushing at 250.7 ypg last season, has its super sophomore center Aaron Fenimore on the list as well.
Miami, last season’s total offense leader at 537.2 ypg, returns a pair up front who helped make it happen in offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and guard Anez Cooper. Clemson’s pair includes one of the 10 defensive tackles on the list in Peter Woods to go with offensive tackle Blake Miller, as does James Madison, which has the Sun Belt Conference’s two representatives in offensive tackle Pat McMurtrie and defensive tackle Immanuel Bush. Florida, Iowa, Texas A&M and Utah each also have teammates of offensive linemen represented.
The conference breakdown – beyond the 32 players from the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 – continues with seven players from the ACC, four from the American, two each from the Mountain West, Sun Belt and Notre Dame and one selection from Conference USA.
The FWAA will announce six or seven Outland Trophy semifinalists on Nov. 19 at a reception in Omaha, and those players will then be pared down to three finalists announced on Nov. 25 on ESPN. The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from those finalists who will be 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 and edge rushers are not eligible.
Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. For a third year now, the FWAA will announce an Outland Trophy National Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.
Following is the complete 2025 Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List:
| 2025 OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (50) | ||
| G Omar Aigbedion, Baylor | G Paolo Gennarelli, Army | OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama |
| OT Austin Barber, Florida | G Cayden Green, Missouri | G Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M |
| C Parker Brailsford, Alabama | C Sam Hecht, Kansas State | G Jaeden Roberts, Alabama |
| DT Immanuel Bush, James Madison | DT Eddrick Houston, Ohio State | DT Landon Robinson, Navy |
| G DJ Campbell, Texas | DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech | G Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech |
| G Fernando Carmona, Arkansas | G Shadre Hurst, Tulane | G Billy Schrauth, Notre Dame |
| OT Kage Casey, Boise State | G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State | OT Jordan Seaton, Colorado |
| G Anez Cooper, Miami | C Logan Jones, Iowa | C Jake Slaughter, Florida |
| DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati | C Iapani Laloulu, Oregon | C Brady Small, Army |
| OT J.C. Davis, Illinois | OT Caleb Lomu, Utah | G Tegra Tshabola, Ohio State |
| OT Gennings Dunker, Iowa | OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami | OT Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame |
| DT Zane Durant, Penn State | OT Pat McMurtrie, James Madison | C Jack Walsh, Wyoming |
| G Giovanni El-Hadi, Michigan | OT Blake Miller, Clemson | OT PJ Williams, SMU |
| OT Spencer Fano, Utah | DT Christen Miller, Georgia | DT Peter Woods, Clemson |
| C Aaron Fenimore, Liberty | DT Domonique Orange, Iowa State | OT Isaiah World, Oregon |
| DT C.J. Fite, Arizona State | OT Brian Parker II, Duke | OT Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M |
| C Bryce Foster, Kansas | G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon | |
The Outland Trophy, celebrating its 80th year since its founding, 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 college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935.
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. Following is the remaining 2025 preseason watch list calendar:
Tue., July 29: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., July 30: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award/Butkus Award
Thu., July 31: Paul Hornung Award/Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
Fri., Aug. 1: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Mon., Aug. 4: Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 5: Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 6: Biletnikoff Award
Thu., Aug. 7: Davey O’Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 8: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 11: Bednarik Award
For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
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The Greater Omaha Sports Committee, founded in 1977, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, consisting of more than 1,300 men and women from the City of Omaha, the State of Nebraska, and others. The Committee serves to communicate, develop, initiate and promote sports activities in the Greater Omaha sports area. In addition to the Outland Trophy Award Events and Dinner, the Greater Omaha Sports Committee promotes high school, college, and professional sports in the Greater Omaha area and the Midwest. For more information contact Bob Mancuso Jr., Chairman at bmancuso@showofficeonline.com or see showofficeonline.com.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.