The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
07.08.2016 | Football
Sophomore from Coppell, Texas was a freshman All-American a season ago
AUSTIN, Texas – Connor Williams, a sophomore offensive tackle from Coppell, Texas, was named to the 2016 Preseason Watch List for the Outland Trophy on Friday. Presented annually by the Football Writers Association of America, Williams was recognized as one of the top interior linemen in the entire country.
Named first-team freshman All-America by the Football Writers Association of America, USA Today and ESPN, Williams made an immediate impact on the Longhorns starting all 12 games at left tackle as a true freshman in 2015. He was also named honorable mention All-Big 12 by the league's coaches. Williams aided a rushing attack which ranked 18th in the nation and third in the Big 12 averaging 224.8 yards per game, including 263.0 in the last seven. The offense was also 26th in the country in red zone efficiency (.882) and became just the fourth Longhorns offense since 1950 to record three games with at least six rushing touchdowns in a single season. An early enrollee in the spring of 2015, Williams is also a two-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team in 2015-16.
Sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, the Outland Trophy has been presented annually since 1946. Three Longhorns have won the award all-time, with four others finishing inside the top three in voting. The Longhorns who have been named winners of the Outland Trophy are OT Scott Appleton (1963), OG Tommy Nobis (1965) and DT Brad Shearer (1977). Only interior linemen – including centers, offensive guards, offensive tackles and defensive tackles – are eligible for the award. Defensive ends do not qualify.
The winner of the 71st Outland Trophy – named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn at the turn of the 20th century – will be announced live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 8. For the second straight year, the show will air from the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
The Outland Trophy presentation banquet will be held on Jan. 11, 2017, in Omaha, Neb. This year, Oklahoma's Greg Roberts, the 1978 Outland Trophy winner, will be honored and presented an Outland Trophy, which was not given in the era in which he won the award. In addition, former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer, will receive the Tom Osborne Legacy Award at the same banquet.
