Gators EDGE named to 2023 Lombardi Award Midseason Watchlist
The Lombardi Award named Florida JACK linebacker Princely Umanmielen to its midseason watchlist on Tuesday.
The watchlist is described as “a compilation of exceptional linemen from across college football,” which is “carefully curated by a subcommittee of the Lombardi Award committee, focusing on players’ past on-field performances and potential for the remainder of the 2023 college football season.”
The list is made up of 100 players across all 10 FBS conferences. Umanmielen is one of 16 SEC players to make the cut. The Big Ten leads the way with 20 selections.
Umanmielen has served as the veteran leader of Florida’s defense all year long and is one of the top pass rushers in the country, according to Pro Football Focus. His 90.6 pass-rush grade is the 23rd-best figure in all of FBS, and Florida plays one of the toughest schedules in the country. His 21 quarterback hurries rank sixth in the nation.
There’s no telling where this young Gators defense would be without Umanmielen, and he’ll get a chance to really prove himself against Georgia, Florida State and LSU in the second half of the season.
Semi-finalists will be determined through a voting period that begins Wednesday and extends through Oct. 30. They will be announced on the first day of November.
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