[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Football Writers Association of America has unveiled the watch list for the 2015 Outland Trophy with 81 players getting consideration for the nation’s top interior lineman.
The SEC leads all conferences with 16 players on the watch list while the FBS “Power Conferences” account for 59 of the players on the watch list.
The Pac-12 has 13 players while the Big Ten and Big 12 each features 11 players on the list. The ACC has eight players. All 10 FBS conferences are features on the list while Notre Dame and BYU feature five between them.
Baylor senior offensive tackle Spencer Drango is the sole returning lineman from the FWAA’s 2014 All-American team.
The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are selected to the FWAA All-American team. After voting from the entire membership, the FWAA All-American Committee select the 26-man first team and the three finalists. Committee members vote via individual ballots to select the winner.
Only interior lineman on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.
2015 OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST (81)
G Vadal Alexander, LSU
C Jack Allen, Michigan State
OT Adrian Bellard, Texas State
DT Andrew Billings, Baylor
DT Beau Blackshear, Baylor
C Austin Blythe, Iowa
C Evan Boehm, Missouri
C J.T. Boyd, East Carolina
C Jake Brendel, UCLA
DT Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech
OT Le’Raven Clark, Texas Tech
DT Kenny Clark, UCLA
DT Maliek Collins, Nebraska
OT Jack Conklin, Michigan State
OT Austin Corbett, Nevada
OT Joe Dahl, Washington State
C Ty Darlington, Oklahoma
DT Sheldon Day, Notre Dame
OT Taylor Decker, Ohio State
OT Spencer Drango, Baylor
G Parker Ehinger, Cincinnati
G Pat Elflein, Ohio State
G Dan Feeney, Indiana
G Joshua Garnett, Stanford
DT Adam Gotsis, Georgia Tech
Darius Hamilton, Rutgers
OT Ike Harris, East Carolina
C Marcus Henry, Boise State
C Joey Hunt, TCU
OT Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M
OT Roderick Johnson, Florida State
DT Gerrand Johnson, ULM
OT Tyler Johnstone, Oregon
DT Chris Jones, Mississippi State
C Ryan Kelly, Alabama
C Nick Kelly, Arizona State
OT Denver Kirkland, Arkansas
G Alex Kozan, Auburn
G Jimmy Kristof, Western Michigan
DT Luther Maddy, Virginia Tech
DT Corey Marshall, Virginia Tech
C Nick Martin, Notre Dame
OT Ryker Mathews, BYU
OT Kyle Murphy, Stanford
C Andrew Ness, Northern Illinois
DT Thomas Niles, UCF
DT Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
C Tyler Orlosky, West Virginia
DT Joe Ostman, Central Michigan
DT Davion Pierson, TCU
G Greg Pyke, Georgia
DT Jarran Reed, Alabama
G Andrew Reue, Rice
DT Hassan Ridgeway, Texas
DT A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama
OT Cam Robinson, Alabama
G Isaac Seumalo, Oregon State
OT Brandon Shell, South Carolina
C Matt Skura, Duke
C Matt Sparks, Massachusetts
OT Garrett Stafford, Tulsa
OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
OT Freddie Tagaloa, Arizona
G Chris Taylor, Tulane
G Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech
G Spencer Tretola, Arkansas
C Max Tuerk, USC
DT Travis Tuiloma, BYU
OT Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss
G Landon Turner, North Carolina
OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, TCU
OT Clint Van Horn, Marshall
DT Eddie Vanderdoes, UCLA
C Dan Voltz, Wisconsin
DT Adolphus Washington, Ohio State
G Christian Westerman, Arizona State
OT Cody Whitehair, Kansas State
DT Antwaun Woods, USC
DT Connor Wujciak, Boston College
OT Avery Young, Auburn
DT Anthony Zettel, Penn State
The list will be trimmed to six or seven semifinalists on Nov. 19, with the three finalists being named three days later by the FWAA. The winner of the 70th Outland Trophy will be announced on ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 10.
The trophy will be presented to the winner during a presentation banquet on Jan. 14, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska.
