The preseason honors continue to pile up for Notre Dame offensive linemen Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey. Both players were named to the 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List.
The Outland Trophy is given out each season to college football’s best interior lineman, which refers to offensive tackles, offensive guards, centers and defensive tackles.
McGlinchey, a fifth-year senior left tackle from Philadelphia, was recently named to the Watch List for the Maxwell Award, which goes to the top player in the country regardless of position. He was an Associated Press third-team All-America in 2016 and was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the fourth best returning run blocking tackle in the country.
Nelson, a senior from Holmdel, N.J. was recently named a Sporting News first-team preseason All-America and was ranked by the publication as the 21st best player in the country. Sports Illustrated ranked Nelson as the nation’s 27th best player in their release of the Top 100 players in the land. Like McGlinchey, Nelson was an AP third-team All-America last season.
McGlinchey and Nelson form arguably the best one-two punch in the country along the offensive line.
The Outland Trophy was first given out in 1946 to Notre Dame tackle George Connor. Two years later guard Bill Fischer won the award. Since then only Ross Browner (1976) has won the award from Notre Dame.
Last season’s winner was Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson. An offensive tackle has one the award 15 of the last 23 seasons.
Nine opponents on Notre Dame’s 2017 schedule were named to the watch list, including four offensive linemen and five defensive tackles. NC State led the way with two players named to the list, guard Tony Adams and defensive tackle B.J. Hill.
Also named to the list was Michigan State center Brian Allen, North Carolina offensive tackle Bentley Spain, Navy guard Evan Martin and defensive tackles Rasheem Green (USC), Kendrick Norton (Miami, Fla.), Harrison Phillips (Stanford) and Trenton Thompson (Georgia).
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