OMAHA (FWAA) – Seven semifinalists for the 2025 Outland Trophy – five offensive linemen and two defensive tackles – were announced Wednesday by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. The semifinalists are each from different schools within four conferences and are all centers, offensive tackles or defensive tackles.
The 2025 Outland Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best college interior lineman on offense or defense. The All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected the semifinalists.
The semifinalists will be pared to three finalists on Tues., Nov. 25. The recipient of the 2025 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN on Dec. 12. The official 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 in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 21, 2026.
The field for the 2025 Outland Trophy is as follows, alphabetically: offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah; center Logan Jones of Iowa; center Iapani Laloulu of Oregon; defensive tackle Kayden McDonald of Ohio State; offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor of Alabama; defensive tackle Landon Robinson of Navy; and offensive tackle Carter Smith of Indiana.
Four of the seven linemen were named Outland Trophy Players of the Week during the season. The Outland Trophy is well represented at the players’ schools as four of the seven programs have winners in their past, with Alabama (six), Ohio State (four), Iowa (four) and Oregon (one) combining for 15 previous trophies, the most recent being Alabama offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood in 2020 and Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell in 2019.
Here is a glance at the seven semifinalists:
- Spencer Fano, OT, Utah (#55, 6-6, 308, Jr., Spanish Fork, Utah): Fano is a dominating right tackle and a mainstay of the Utes’ offensive line for the past two seasons starting in 20 consecutive games there. He has 34 career starts in his 35 total games. One of the Utah captains, Fano has allowed just five pressures and five hurries on the quarterback and has yet to allow a sack in 245 pass blocking opportunities, per Pro Football Focus. He was the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week on the weekend of Nov. 1 following Utah’s 45-14 win over Cincinnati, earning PFF’s highest national grade while the Utes rolled up 480 total yards. The Utah offensive line he captains has been named the Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week three times (Sept. 2, Oct. 13, Oct. 27).
The Utes have had one previous Outland Trophy finalist, offensive tackle Jordan Gross in 2002. Fano is coached by Jim Harding.
- Logan Jones, C, Iowa (#65, 6-3, 302, Gr., Council Bluffs, Iowa): Another home-state lineman, Jones is regarded as the top center in the country and is the top-rated player at the position by PFF. Iowa has rushed for more than 200 yards four times this season with Jones steadying the middle as a game captain each week. He has 48 career starts in his 49 games played. Jones earned All-Big Ten recognition the past two seasons. He was the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week on the weekend of Oct. 25 following Iowa’s 41-3 win over Minnesota.
Iowa has four former Outland winners and two previous finalists, last represented by the player Jones replaced as the starting center, Tyler Linderbaum in 2021. Its last Outland winner was offensive tackle Brandon Scherff in 2014. Jones is coached by George Barnett
- Iapani Laloulu, C, Oregon (#72, 6-2, 329, Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii): Laloulu is another top-flight center anchoring one of the country’s top offenses up front. Laloulu (pronounced LAH-low-oo-loo), who goes by his middle name Poncho, was the only returning full-time starter for Oregon coming into the season. In 1,012 career pass-blocking snaps, Laloulu has allowed just one sack and has given up just five pressures in 294 pass-blocking snaps this season. In Oregon’s dramatic win at Penn State earlier this season Laloulu had eight knockdown blocks and leads the team with 39 total. Oregon is third nationally averaging 7.36 yards per play this season.
Oregon has one former Outland Trophy winner, offensive tackle Penei Sewell in 2019. Laloulu is coached by A’lique Terry.
- Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State (#98, 6-3, 326, Jr., Suwanee, Ga.): McDonald leads the Ohio State linemen and is fourth on the team with 44 tackles, an impressive number from his defensive tackle position. He also lists third on the team with 8.0 tackles for loss and has 3.0 sacks. His two season-high tackle counts this season – eight – have come against Texas and Penn State and his season-high 3.0 TFL’s came at Washington along with 2.0 sacks.
Ohio State has four former Outland Trophy winners, three of them from the offense including its last one, offensive tackle Orlando Pace in 1996. McDonald is coached by Larry Johnson.
- Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama (#74, 6-7, 366, Jr., Des Moines, Iowa): Proctor has helped guide an offensive line that has Alabama producing the 11th-best passing offense nationally at 294.7 yards per game, also third in the SEC. Since Sept. 6, Proctor has allowed just one quarterback hit over his last 364 passing snaps while manning Ty Simpson’s blind side. He has the second-highest overall grade for offensive tackles by PFF. Proctor was the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week on the weekend of Oct. 25 after grading at 89 percent following Alabama’s 24-21 road win at Georgia while not allowing a sack or a hurry.
Alabama has six previous Outland winners, the most recent being offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood in 2002. Five of the six winners have been offensive tackles. Proctor is coached by Chris Kapilovic.
- Landon Robinson, DT, Navy (#96, 6-0, 287, Sr., Fairlawn, Ohio): Robinson is regarded as one of the most aggressive linemen in the nation. He’s the third-best pass-rushing interior defensive lineman per PFF with a grade of 85.7 and one of the top overall interior defensive linemen in the FBS. Well respected by teammates and foes alike, Robinson earned the designation of Navy’s Deputy Captain of the Captains by the team captains of the 36 varsity sports at the Naval Academy. Midshipmen still tell of Robinson’s performance in last season’s Army-Navy game where he had a career-high 13 tackle and was Navy’s 3rd-leading rusher with 29 yards on a fake punt.
Navy has not had a finalist for the Outland Trophy in its past. Robinson is coached by Jerrick Hall and Va'a Niumatalolo
- Carter Smith, OT, Indiana (#65, 6-5, 313, R-Jr., Powell, Ohio): Yet another line anchor at left tackle is Smith, a returning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten player who has started every game (36) since the start of 2023 season and been an understated player in Indiana’s rise to national prominence. Smith ranks as the No. 2-graded offensive lineman among the Power 4 programs per PFF at 89.4. Earlier this month at Maryland (11/1) Indiana rushed for 367 yards, its program-record fifth game of the season with 300-plus yards rushing. Smith was the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week for the weekend of Oct. 11 following the Hoosiers’ 30-20 road win at No. 3 Oregon.
Indiana has one previous Outland Trophy finalist in offensive tackle Jason Spriggs from 2015. Smith is coached by Bob Bostad.
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from finalists who are a 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 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 are not eligible.
The Outland Trophy, celebrating 80 years 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. For more information about the NCFAA, visit ncfaa.org.
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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.