Inside The Huskies

Kirkland Adds Lombardi Award to his Watch-List Collection

The veteran Husky offensive tackle continues to receive recognition.

Dan Raley

In this story:

Watch lists might seem a little tedious at this point, with seemingly a million college football players receiving some sort of attention. Yet face it, if you're not on them, your team isn't any good.

Welcome back, Jaxson Kirkland.

The University of Washington's sixth-year offensive tackle, passing up the NFL draft in each of the past two seasons and coming off ankle surgery, added another bauble to his growing list of preseason rewards — he's earned one of 78 spots on the watch list for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's top offensive or defensive lineman. 

This comes after the 6-foot-7, 340-pound Kirkland from Vancouver, Washington, emerged as one of 89 recipients of Outland Trophy watch-list consideration.

Just one Husky football player, Steve Emtman, has captured these prestigious awards, with the All-America defensive tackle claiming both in 1991. 

Kirkland was an Outland Trophy watch-list candidate last season, as well. A 39-game UW starter, he's a two-time, first-team All-Pac-12 selection. Also, Phil Steele named Kirkland to his second-team, preseason All-America team, Farrell Sports ranked him 19th among the nation's top offensive linemen, and Conference Commandos pegged him as the country's No. 4 offensive tackle. 

LOMBARDI AWARD WATCH LIST

(Pac-12 players in bold)

Jayson Ademilola, Notre Dame, S-Sr, DL; Praise Amaewhule, UTEP, Rs, Jr, DE; Darren Anders, Bowling Green, Sr, ILB;
Will Anderson Jr., Alabama, Jr, OLB; Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State, Jr, DE; Clark Barrington, BYU, Jr, LG; Abraham Beauplan, Marshall, Sr, LB; Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, Jr, OL Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State, Rs-Sr, LB.

Brock Bowers, Georgia, So, TE; Dwayne Boyles, USF, Sr, LB; Bryan Bresee, Clemson, Rs-So, DT; Nick Broeker, Ole Miss, Sr, OG; Jack Campbell, Iowa, Sr, LB; Jalen Carter, Georgia, Jr, DL;
Andre Carter II, Army, Jr, OLB; Caleb Chandler, Louisville, Rs-Sr, G; Elijah Chatman, SMU, Sr, DT; Braeden Daniels, Utah, Jr, RT; KD Davis, North Texas, Sr, LB; SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh, Sr, LB.

Brandon Dorlus, Oregon, Jr, DE; Trevor Downing, Iowa State, Rs- Sr, C; Cory Durden, North Carolina State, Rs-Sr, DT/DE; Jordan Ferguson, Middle Tennessee, Rs-Sr, DE; Alex Forsyth, Oregon, Sr, C; Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame, Sr, DE; Zach Frazier, West Virginia, So, C; Blake Freeland, BYU, Jr, LT; Connor Galvin, Baylor, Sr, OT; Ali Gaye, LSU, Rs-Sr, DE.

Tyler Grubbs, Louisiana Tech, So, LB; Derick Hall, Auburn, Sr, Edge; Zach Harrison Ohio State, Sr, DE; Nick Herbig, Wisconsin, Jr, OLB; Jamal Hines, Toledo, Sr, OLB; Cooper Hodges, Appalachian State, Rs-Jr, OT; Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State, Jr, OT; Dawand Jones, Ohio State, Sr, OT; Viliami Junior Fehoko, San Jose State, Jr, DE; Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh, Rs-Jr, DT.

Jaxson Kirkland, Washington, Sr, OT; Willie Lampkin, Coastal Carolina, Jr, C;  Sam LaPorta, Iowa, Sr, TE; Ahofitu Maka, UTSA, Sr, C; Carlton Martial, Troy, Sr, LB; Brock Martin, Oklahoma State, S-Sr, DE; Michael Mayer, Notre Dame, Jr, TE; Caden McDonald, San Diego State, Sr, LB; Will McDonald IV, Iowa State, Rs-Sr, DE; Jordan McFadden, Clemson, Rs-Sr, OT.

Lorenz Metz, Cincinnati, Sr, OG;  Wyatt Milum, West Virginia, So, OT; Myles Murphy, Clemson, Jr, DE; Chris Murray, Oklahoma, Rs-Sr, OG; PJ Mustipher, Penn State, S-Sr, DT; Chris Ojoh, New Mexico State, Sr, LB; Olu Oluwatimi, Michigan, S-Sr, C; DeMarvion Overshown, Texas, Sr, LB; Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame, Gr-S, OL;  Patrick Paul, Houston, So, OT.

David Perales, Fresno State, Sr, DE; Bumper Pool, Arkansas, Rs-Sr, LB; Layden Robinson, Texas A&M, Sr, OG; John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota, S-Sr, C; Noah Sewell, Oregon, So, LB; Trenton Simpson, Clemson, Jr, LB; Peter Skoronski, Northwestern, Jr, OT; Jacob Slade, Michigan State, Rs-Sr, DT; Nolan Smith, Georgia, Sr, LB; Javon Solomon, Troy, So, LB. 

Josaiah Stewart, Coastal Carolina, So, LB; Dante Stills, West Virginia, S-Sr, DL; Ron Stone Jr., Washington State, Rs-Jr, Edge; Henry To'oTo'o, Alabama, Sr, ILB; O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida, Jr, OL; Tuli Tuipulotu, USC, Jr, DT; Andrew Vorhees, USC, Rs-Sr, OG.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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