Three Ohio State players named to the Outland Trophy preseason watch list
The Football Writer’s Association of America announced the 2021 Preseason Outland Trophy watch list on Tuesday, and three Ohio State players were included among the 80 names honored. Offensive tackles Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere, and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett were all a part of the release.
The Outland Trophy has been around since 1946 and is handed out to the college football player judged to be the best interior lineman annually. The award winner can be on the offensive or defensive side of the ball.
Munford is entering his fifth year as a super senior who decided to come back for the extra year allowed to all players as a part of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been listed on multiple publications and websites as a preseason All-American and potential high NFL draft pick in April. He should be one of the best anchors on the left side of the offensive line anywhere in America.
Petit-Frere is ready for a breakout year. He is a former 5-star commit that redshirted his first year before landing a starting spot last fall. With an extra year of development and the muscle he has put on, he too has the potential to be one of the best offensive lineman in the country.
Garrett also decided to come back for one more season instead of entering the 2021 NFL draft. His story is an amazing one after somehow recovering from a gunshot wound to the face in time for the 2020 season. Simply being in the lineup wasn’t what he had in mind. Instead, Garrett turned into one of the best interior defensive linemen in the Big Ten and has also received multiple preseason accolades heading into this year.
Eighty standout interior linemen named to 2021 Outland Trophy Watch List by @TheFWAA. https://t.co/AxpcVLWMA0 pic.twitter.com/mnB8StiTvv
— Outland Trophy (@outlandtrophy) July 27, 2021
Ohio State has had four players win the Outland Trophy. Jim Parker (1956), Jim Stillwagon (1970), John Hicks (1973), and Orlando Pace (1996), all were voted as recipients. This year, OSU is one of just five programs (Boston College, Clemson, Georgia, and Oklahoma are the others) with three players on the preseason watch list.
We want to wish good luck to all three. Hopefully, at least one of them will be in attendance when the Outland is announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 9.
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