7/22/2022 football Edit

Oluwatimi named to Rimington Award watchlist

Olu Oluwatimi lines up at center in Michigan's 2022 spring game. (Photo via MGoBlue.com/Michigan Athletics) (MGoBlue/Michigan Athletics)

Brandon Justice • Maize&BlueReview

Senior Editor

Senior Editor covering Michigan athletics at-large for The Maize & Blue Review on the Rivals network. Follow my betting coverage on The Wolverine Den. Trying to be more like Ted Lasso. 25.

Michigan center Olu Oluwatimi is one of 40 centers named to the Rimington Award preseason watchlist.

The award is given out annually to the nation's top center.

Oluwatimi, a graduate transfer from Virginia, was one of three finalists for the award in 2021 while at UVA.

"This year, the Trophy committee worked with Pro Football Focus (PFF) to narrow down its list to the top 40 centers. PFF grades every player on every play of every game on how well they execute their given assignment. That play-by-play grading allowed the Trophy committee to create a watchlist based both on nominations from the schools and data provided by PFF," the Rimington Award announced in a release. "Once the season begins, schools will be able to nominate their centers for late addition based on in-season merit."

Each conference has a center representing it, including five others from the Big Ten: John Michael Schmitz (Minnesota), Luke Wypler, Jr. (Ohio State), Juice Scruggs (Penn State), Gus Hartwig (Purdue), and Joe Tippmann (Wisconsin).

According to PFF's preseason rankings, Oluwatimi is the third-best center in college football, trailing Notre Dame's Jarrett Patterson and Minnesota's Schmitz.

The former Cavalier turned Wolverine posted a third-best 90.2 run-blocking grade in his senior season.

He is squarely in the mix to win the award this fall.

NCFAA Watch List Calendar

Mon., July 25: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award/Butkus Award

Tues., July 26: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy

Wed., July 27: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award

Thurs., July 28: Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy

Friday, July 29: Walter Camp Award

Mon., Aug. 1: Bednarik Award

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