Kansas center Mike Novitsky has been named as one of the preseason candidates for the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded annually to the best center in Division I.
Novitsky, a redshirt senior, started all 12 games at Kansas last season. It was his first with the Jayhawks after his transfer from Buffalo, where he started every game the previous two seasons.
According to Pro Football Focus, Novitsky played 799 total snaps last season without committing a penalty or allowing a sack, and he has never allowed a sack while in college.
It’s the third consecutive year in which Novitsky has made the watch list. It included 40 players, though candidates who did not make the list who emerge during the season can be selected for the award.
Five other Big 12 players made the list: Baylor’s Jacob Gall, Iowa State’s Trevor Downing, Oklahoma State’s Preston Wilson, TCU’s Steve Avila and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier.
