Latest news with #RimingtonTrophy
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raiders' OL Jackson Powers-Johnson Reveals Position He Prefers to Play
While general manager Tom Telesco did not last long with the Las Vegas Raiders, he did provide the franchise with several cornerstone players. Unfortunately, he was attached at the hip with head coach Antonio Pierce, so he was unable to continue building the program in his image. Still, he grabbed three starters in the first three rounds of his only NFL Draft, nabbing Brock Bowers, Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze with consecutive picks. All three of these players were key contributors for the Raiders last year and showed hope for a promising future despite winning just four games all season. Las Vegas Raiders OL Jackson Powers-Johnson (58).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Powers-Johnson missed the early part of the season, but settled into the starting lineup at both guard and center during the 2024 campaign. Many have tried to predict which position he will play this season or what he prefers, but Powers-Johnson set the record straight on a recent episode of "The Rush with Maxx Crosby." Advertisement "Center, easy." Powers-Johnson said. "I want to take that step mentally, as a center, so that any look that presents to us, I can diagnose it and help Geno (Smith) get into that. I think that's so much fun and why I love center so much." New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek did not address the center position this offseason, so it appears that Powers-Johnson will start once again in the middle of the offensive line. He won the Rimington Trophy in college for the being the nation's best center, and he will attempt to bring that prowess to the Silver and Black once again in 2025. Related: Insider Hints at Exciting Raiders-49ers News Related: Ashton Jeanty Hints at Massive Price He Had to Pay to Get Jersey Number
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football center Jake Slaughter projected to win 2025 Rimington Trophy
Florida football center Jake Slaughter projected to win 2025 Rimington Trophy The college football season kicks off in just over three months, but the anticipation ahead of America's favorite sport has many already looking ahead to the fall campaign. One of the many too-early questions posited by prognosticators is which players will win which regular-season awards when the schedule concludes. CBS Sports writer Will Backus decided to take a stab at the topic recently, predicting college football award winners for the 2025 campaign. Among the projected award winners — which leaned heavily on the Ohio State Buckeyes and Clemson Tigers — was Florida Gators starting center Jake Slaughter, who was named the top candidate for the Rimington Trophy, which honors the top player in the nation at that position. Why Jake Slaughter will win the Rimington Trophy "Slaughter would likely have been the first center off the board if he declared for the 2025 NFL draft, but he elected to run it back for another year with what looks like a promising Florida team," Backus begins. "He's long been an anchor in the middle of the Gators' offensive line, and he's coming off a 2024 season in which he earned second-team CBS Sports All-American and first-team All-SEC honors. Slaughter took 402 pass-block snaps last year and only allowed one sack, according to Pro Football Focus. That type of dominance at a key position should net him some hardware." Breaking down Jake Slaughter's skill set Pro Football Focus (PFF) awarded Slaughter an impressive 83.9 overall grade, making him the highest-graded returning center in the country. Slaughter, a redshirt senior, has not only met but exceeded expectations throughout his collegiate career. After stepping in as a starter during the 2023 season, Slaughter solidified his role in 2024, delivering standout performances that earned him First-Team All-American honors. Slaughter's incredible skills in pass protection were highlighted last season as he allowed just one sack over 402 pass-blocking snaps. Even with run-blocking, PFF marked him as the team's top run-blocker. Listed at 6-foot-4-inches and 308 pounds, the offensive lineman originally from Sparr, Florida, is a consensus first-round pick among early 2026 NFL draft projections. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football great Maurkice Pouncey inducted into 2025 Florida Athletics Hall of Fame
Florida football great Maurkice Pouncey inducted into 2025 Florida Athletics Hall of Fame The University of Florida announced its 2025 Florida Athletics Hall of Fame 2025 inductees on Wednesday and included offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey among the seven student-athletes to earn the honor. Originally from Lakeland, Florida, appeared in 41 games for the Gators while starting 39 of them from 2007-2009. His efforts as an All-American right guard and center helped lead the Gators to their last SEC and national title in 2008. He became the first Gator in program history to win the Rimington Trophy — awarded annually to the nation's best center — in 2009. He also collected First-Team All-America honors from Walter Camp, Sporting News and the FWAA following that season, and was a unanimous First-Team All-SEC selection on top of all that. Maurkice Pouncey's NFL career Pouncey was selected in the first round (16th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 NFL draft, beginning a 10-year career that kept him in the Steel City for a full decade by finishing third in the Rookie of the Year award vote. He started all 134 games he appeared for the Steelers and was a two-time First-Team All-Pro, a three-time Second-Team All-Pro, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team. Full 2025 Florida Athletics Hall of Fame Class Theresa Andrews, swimming (1981-83) Charlotte Browning, track and field/cross country (2008-10) Kitty Cullen, lacrosse (2010-13) Marquis Dendy, track and field (2012-15) Lauren Haeger, softball (2012-15) Kytra Hunter, gymnastics (2012-15) Maurkice Pouncey (2007-09) Florida Athletics Hall of Fame Class induction info Inductees will be honored at the UF athletics Hall of Fame Banquet, scheduled for Oct. 17, ahead of Florida's home football game the following day against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florida Makes Major Maurkice Pouncey Announcement
From 2007 to 2009, the Florida Gators football program won 35 games, including a BCS national championship and the Sugar Bowl. The first name to come to mind regarding the late 2000s Gators is undoubtedly Heisman Trophy Award quarterback Tim Tebow. However, Tebow's greatness would not have reached its otherworldly peak without his center, Maurkice Pouncey. Just 16 years removed from his final game in Gainesville, the University of Florida is adding Pouncey, one of its most decorated offensive linemen, to the Hall of Fame. Maurkice Pouncey Pouncey, a cornerstone of the Gators' 2008 national championship squad and one of the most dominant centers in college and pro football, will be inducted into the UF Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. Per the Gainesville Sun's Kevin Brockway, he joins seven other inductees in a ceremony set for October 17, the night before Florida hosts Mississippi State at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Advertisement Pouncey, a Lakeland native, was the anchor of Florida's offensive line during the height of the Urban Meyer era. He made 11 starts as a true freshman before becoming the full-time starter at center in 2008. The Gators hoisted the BCS title trophy in 2008, but his best performances came in 2009, his final year with the program. Pouncey earned the Rimington Trophy in 2009 as the nation's best center, while being named a first-team All-SEC and All-American honoree. His dominance didn't end in Gainesville. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Pouncey with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He dominated the 2010s as one of the most reliable centers in the league, earning a spot on the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. During his 11-year NFL career, he made nine Pro Bowls, three second-team All-Pros, and two first-team All-Pro squads. Advertisement Pouncey becomes the latest Gator great to be immortalized in orange and blue, joining a long list of legends who helped shape the program into a college football powerhouse. A 2008 Florida national championship team staple, he joins teammates Percy Harvin, Tim Tebow, Chas Henry, Joe Haden, Brandon James, Reggie Nelson, and Brandon Spikes in the school's athletic Hall of Fame. Related: Florida Basketball Nearly Falls Out of Preseason Top 25 Despite Winning NCAA Tournament Title
USA Today
04-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Seth McLaughlin circled as Bengals UDFA most likely to make final 53
Seth McLaughlin circled as Bengals UDFA most likely to make final 53 Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin was easily the biggest name for the Cincinnati Bengals in undrafted free agency this offseason. It shouldn't come as a shock, then, to think that McLaughlin has the best shot at the final 53-man roster this summer, either. Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski picked McLaughlin as the UDFA most likely to make the 53 while pointing out his injury woes: "Unfortunately, McLaughlin also suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon, which could hamper his participation in training camp. Still, the Cincinnati Bengals should try to sneak McLaughlin onto the roster somehow, because he could potentially replace Ted Karras in the lineup." RELATED: 2025 NFL draft: RAS scores for new Bengals rookie class The Rimington Trophy winner is a solid prospect, but it might be a little early to suggest he'll get the better of Ted Karras right now. But much of the 53 projection really comes down to health. The Bengals were more than happy to get a local prospect at a good value and improve depth. Behind Karras, another fan-favorite prospect in 2024 seventh-rounder Matt Lee remains in the fray for the long-term job, too. RELATED: What draft experts said about new Bengals DL Shemar Stewart
