Longhorns lead Big 12 with Five Players Selected to Lombardi Award Watch List

On Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Houston announced its first watch list of players for the Lombardi Award, which is presented to an outstanding offensive or defensive lineman that embodies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi.

Five Texas Longhorns were included in the honor, leading the Big 12 and tallying the second-most in the country. Jaylan Ford, Christian Jones, T’Vondre Sweat, J’Tavion Sanders and Kelvin Banks Jr. join the midseason list which boasts 100 college football players.

Should a Texas player win the award they would be the fourth Longhorn all-time to win (Kenneth Sims – 1981, Tony Degrate – 1984, Brian Orakpo – 2008). Nine Longhorns have been finalists for the award, including Justin Blalock (2006), Rodrique Wright (2005), Derrick Johnson (2004), Cory Redding (2002), Doug Dawson (1983), Steve McMichael (1979), Brad Shearer (1977), Bill Wyman (1973) and Jerry Sisemore (1972).

The list will be trimmed on November 1 when the semifinalists will be announced. On November 15 the final four nominees will be revealed with the winner receiving the award on December 6th at the 46th annual Rotary Lombardi Award Dinner in Houston.

Full Lombardi Award Watch List

Elijah Alston, Marshall, Jr., DE

Joe Alt, Notre Dame, Jr., OT

Caleb Bacon, Iowa State, So., LB

Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, So., OT

Jaishawn Barham, Maryland, So., LB

Graham Barton, Duke, Sr., OT

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, Sr., OG

Brock Bowers, Georgia, Jr., TE

Chris Braswell, Alabama, Sr., LB

DeWayne Carter, Duke, Rs. Sr., DT

Barrett Carter, Clemson, Jr., LB

Duke Clemens, UCLA, Sr., OC

Javion Cohen, Miami, Jr., OG

Brandon Coleman, TCU, Sr., OG

Junior Colson, Michigan, Jr., LB

Marley Cook, Middle Tennessee, Rs. Jr., DT

Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, Rs. So., DL

Howard Cross III, Notre Dame, Sr., DT

Tyler Davis, Clemson, Gr., DT

Justin Dedich, USC, Rs. Sr., OC

Brandon Dorlus, Oregon, Sr., DE

Ethan Downs, Oklahoma, Jr., DE

Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia, Jr., LB

Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State, Gr., LB

Jonah Elliss, Utah, Jr., DE

D’Mitri Emmanuel, Florida State, Rs. Sr., OG

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State, Jr., OT

Troy Fautanu, Washington, Jr., OT

Blake Fisher, Notre Dame, Jr., OT

Jaylan Ford, Texas, Sr., LB

Javon Foster, Missouri, Gr., OT

Zach Frazier, West Virginia, Jr., OC

Tailese Fuaga, Oregon State, Jr., OG

Dallas Gant, Toledo, Sr., LB

AJ Gillie, Louisana, Rs. Jr., OG

Ashton Gillotte, Louisville, Jr., DL

Delmar Glaze, Maryland, Rs. Jr., OT

Mason Graham, Michigan, So., DT

Cedric Gray, North Carolina, Sr., LB

Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State, Jr., DT

Christian Haynes, UConn, Rs. Sr., OG

Sincere Haynesworth, Tulane, Sr., OC

Jason Henderson, Old Dominion, Jr, LB

Branson Hickman, SMU, Jr., OC

Jay Higgins, Iowa, Sr., LB

Jaylon Hutchings, Texas Tech, Gr., DL

McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M, Sr, DT

Nick Jackson, Iowa, Sr., LB

Kris Jenkins, Michigan, Sr., DT

Matthew Jones, Ohio State, Gr., OG

Christian Jones, Texas, Sr., OT

Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest, Rs. Sr., OG

Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State, Sr., DE

Adam Karas, Air Force, Sr., OT

Tyrice Knight, UTEP, Sr., LB

J.C. Latham, Alabama, Jr., OT

Laiatu Latu, UCLA, Sr., DE

Beaux Limmer, Arkansas, Rs. Sr., OT

Christian Mahogany, Boston College, Gr., OG

Brandon Matterson, UTSA, Sr., DT

Amarius Mims, Georgia, Jr,, OT

Jonah Monheim, USC, Rs. Jr., OT

Jordan Morgan, Arizona, Sr., OT

Gabriel Murphy, UCLA, Rs. Jr., DE

Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois, Jr., DT

Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin, Rs. Sr., LB

Mike Novitsky, Kansas, Rs. Sr., OC

Drake Nugent, Michigan, Gr., OC

Justin Osborne, SMU, Sr., OG

Thor Paglialong, Air Force, Sr., OC

Patrick Paul, Houston, Jr., OT

Josh Pearcy, Rice, Rs. Jr., DE

Harold Perkins, LSU, So., LB

Owen Porter, Marshall, Rs Sr, DE

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon, Jr., OC

Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois, Jr., DT

Tate Ratledge, Georgia, Jr., OG

Chop Robinson, Penn State, Jr., DE

Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas, Jr., TE

Jack Sawyer, Ohio State, Jr., DE

Jackson Sirmon, California – Berkley, Rs. Sr., LB

Maason Smith, LSU, So., DT

Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, Jr., LB

Kingsley Suamataia, BYU, So., OT

T’Vondre Sweat, Texas, Sr., DT

Leonard Taylor III, Miami, So., DT

Bralen Trice, Washington, Sr., DE

Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson, Jr., LB

JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State, Jr., DE

Dallas Turner, Alabama, Jr., LB

Princely Umanmielen, Florida, Jr., DE

Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia, Rs. So., OC

Jared Verse, Florida State, Rs. Jr., DE

Nathaniel Watson, Missippi State, Gr., LB

Marlowe Wax, Syracuse, Jr., LB

Damonic Williams, TCU, So., DT

Tyleik Williams, Ohio State, Jr., DT

Payton Wilson, NC State, Sr., LB

Mekhi Wingo, LSU, Jr., DT

Zak Zinter, Michigan, Sr., OG