THREE FINALISTS SELECTED FOR 79TH OUTLAND TROPHY

THREE FINALISTS SELECTED FOR 79TH OUTLAND TROPHY

DALLAS (FWAA) – Three finalists for the 2024 Outland Trophy – offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. of Texas, and defensive tackles Mason Graham of Michigan and Walter Nolen of Ole Miss – were announced Tuesday by the Football Writers Association of America.

The 2024 Outland Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s best college interior lineman on offense or defense. The All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected the semifinalists.

The recipient of the 2024 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN on Dec. 12. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee in Omaha, Neb., on Wed., Jan. 22, 2025.

Michigan and Texas had the last two Outland Trophy winners in center Olusegun Oluwatimi in 2022 and last year’s winner, defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, respectively. Nolen is the first defensive tackle at Ole Miss to make the Outland Trophy finalist stage and its second all-time finalist.

Here is a glance at the three finalists:

Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas (6-4, 320, Jr., Humble, Texas): Banks is consistently one of the nation’s top offensive tackles and the leader of an experienced line on a Texas offense that is averaging 449.4 yards per game and 6.4 yards per play, both the 18th-best mark in the FBS. Banks’ pass protection has helped quarterback Quinn Ewers and others to average 279.7 pass yards per game, the 17th-best mark in the FBS. He was the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week following Texas’ 34-3 win over rival Oklahoma and has started 38 consecutive games for Texas.

The Longhorns have four previous Outland Trophy winners, including last year’s honoree in defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. Banks is the ninth finalist in Texas’ Outland history, and like the rest is an in-state Texas recruit. He is coached by offensive line coach Kyle Flood.

Mason Graham, DT, Michigan (6-3, 320, Jr.,, Mission Viejo, Calif.): An anchor and stalwart coming back from Michigan’s national title team, Graham leads the Wolverines’ interior defense with 39.0 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks at the center of the nation’s fourth-best rush defense (94.0 ypg). His 91.2 grade leads all FBS players in run defense. He’s a nemesis to opposing quarterbacks, Graham also has 11 career pass breakups knocking down passes at the line. He had a career-best six tackles against ranked-at-the-time USC and Illinois teams and three tackles against Texas’ formidable front early in the season.

Graham is the first Outland Trophy finalist at defensive tackle for Michigan. Besides Oluwatimi’s award in 2022, the Wolverines have had three previous finalists, most recently offensive tackle Jake Long from 2007. Graham is coached by defensive line coach Lou Esposito.

Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss (6-3, 305, Jr., Powell, Tenn.): Nolen is the interior standout on perhaps the FBS’ top defensive front at Ole Miss that has combined 54.0 TFL’s and 33.0 sacks this season. He has earned PFF’s second spot among interior linemen for run defense with a 91.0 grade. The Rebels are second in the FBS run defense giving up only 87.5 yards per game. The transfer from Texas A&M prior to the season is seventh on Ole Miss’ defense with 40.0 tackles this season with 10.5 TFL’s, 5.0 sacks, three pass breakups and three QB hurries. Taking so much attention in the middle has allowed the edge rush to flourish – Ole Miss currently leads the FBS in TFL’s (108) and resulting yards lost (476) and has a defensive end and a linebacker among the FBS’ top 18 in TFL’s.

Nolen is the first defensive tackle at Ole Miss to make the Outland Trophy finalist stage. Offensive tackle Michael Oher is the Rebels’ lone previous finalist in 2008. Nolen is coached by defensive line coach Randall Joyner.

The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually three Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.

The Outland Trophy, celebrating 79 years since its founding, is the third-oldest major college football award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.

The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on Twitter at @NCFAA.

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The Greater Omaha Sports Committee, founded in 1977, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, consisting of more than 1,300 men and women from the City of Omaha, the State of Nebraska, and others. The Committee serves to communicate, develop, initiate and promote sports activities in the Greater Omaha sports area. In addition to the Outland Trophy Award Events and Dinner, the Greater Omaha Sports Committee promotes high school, college, and professional sports in the Greater Omaha area and the Midwest.  For more information contact Bob Mancuso Jr., Chairman at bmancuso@showofficeonline.com or see showofficeonline.com.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team.