Two Alabama players were included on the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy, it was announced on Tuesday. Redshirt senior offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher and junior offensive tackle Jonah Williams were both among 82 candidates for the award.
The Outland Trophy is presented annually by the Football Writers Association of America to the nation’s best interior lineman.
Pierschbacher is a three-year starter at guard who moved to center in the spring to replace Bradley Bozeman, a Rimington finalist last season. Pierschbacher has started 43 games in his career, beginning as Alabama’s left guard in 2015. He moved to right guard for part of the 2016 season. He was a first-team All-SEC pick by the league media.
Williams has started all 29 games during his first two seasons at Alabama. He played right tackle as a true freshman in 2016 and moved to left tackle in 2017. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2017 and has received numerous preseason All-America honors this year. Williams allowed 2.5 sacks and eight pressures in 831 offensive snaps last season and was chosen as a player of the week three times by the Alabama coaches.
Alabama players have won the Outland Trophy four times, with offensive tackle Cam Robinson most recently winning in 2016. You can view the full watch list for the award here.
Nagurski Trophy
Defensive lineman Raekwon Davis was Alabama’s lone representative on the 97-man preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.
The Nagurski Trophy is awarded to the nation’s best defensive player by the FWAA.
Davis finished the 2017 season with 69 tackles and 8.5 sacks as a sophomore. The 6-foot-7 defensive lineman had a key interception in the national championship game as well. He’s projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft by some analysts.
Jonathan Allen won the Nagurski Trophy in 2016. You can see the full watch list for the award here.
