Kansas University offensive lineman Jeremiah Hatch was one of 43 college players named to the Rimington Trophy committee’s 2011 Fall Watch List, the group announced Wednesday.
Hatch, a senior from Dallas, has started 35 games during his career, including all but one in 2010 and 23 at center. As a red-shirt freshman in 2008, he played both right and left tackle and earned second-team freshman All-America honors from Rivals.com.
The Rimington Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Outstanding center in country, and the organization has pledged more than $2 million to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Hatch is one of three players from the Big 12 on the list, which includes 13 centers who were on the 2010 Watch List.
Big 12 Media Days attendees are…
KU officials Wednesday announced three seniors would accompany head coach Turner Gill to the annual Big 12 Football Media Days event July 25-26 in Dallas.
Tight end Tim Biere, offensive lineman Jeremiah Hatch, and linebacker Steven Johnson will be saddled the responsibility of selling the KU program to a group of Big 12 media members that will shrink substantially this year with those who cover Colorado and Nebraska heading to similar events for the Pac-12 and Big Ten instead.
The appearance, considered by many to be an honor, will be a first for all three players. Last year, KU sent Chris Harris, Jake Laptad and Brad Thorson, all seniors at the time.
Tapko leaves OU
Rockhurst High graduate, Dan Tapko, a tight end who was recruited heavily by KU but chose Oklahoma instead, has decided to leave the Sooners’ program.
According to the Rivals.com site, SoonerScoop.com, Tapko had been in Norman, Okla., participating in OU’s summer conditioning program since early June.
No specific reason for Tapko’s departure was given, but it appears several factors may have been in play.
“It was a tough decision and it was made for medical and personal reasons that would have made my life really difficult trying to go to school and play football,” Tapko told SoonerScoop.com.
Some speculated the decision was tied to a knee injury he suffered in high school but Tapko said that was not the case.
“I want to clear up that it was not the knee,” he said. “My knee is 100 percent good to go.”
Though it’s unlikely that Tapko would transfer within the Big 12, it’s fair to say this decision at least landed somewhere on KU’s radar. One thing that makes Tapko transferring to KU a longshot is the NCAA rule that says any player transferring within the same conference is required to sit out a year and lose that year of eligibility before playing again.
KU, which sent recruiting coordinator Reggie Mitchell after the three-star prospect, cracked Tapko’s final seven.
