KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee center Cooper Mays has been named to the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top collegiate center.

Mays is one of 40 centers from across the country named to the preseason watch list, including 10 from the Southeastern Conference.

The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I College Football. Since its inception, the award has raised over $5 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982. During that time, he became the John Outland Trophy’s only two-time winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman.

The standout from Kingsport, Tennessee, enters his fifth season with the Big Orange after cementing himself as the starting center for the past four years. Mays, the anchor of the UT offense, did not allow a sack and only one QB hit in 531 snaps during the 2023 season. The All-SEC performer and preseason All-American has played 40 games at center, totaling 32 career starts.

Off the field, Mays has been recognized three times on the SEC Academic Honor Roll and serves as a member of the team’s leadership council. 

The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

This year, the Trophy committee worked with Pro Football Focus (PFF) to narrow down its list to the top 40 centers. PFF grades every player on every play of every game on how well they execute their given assignment. That play-by-play grading allowed the Trophy committee to create a watchlist based both on nominations from the schools and data provided by PFF. 

The winner will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Rimington Trophy presentation which will occur on Jan. 25, 2025.

2024 Tennessee Football Preseason Honors

Head Coach Josh Heupel
Dodd Trophy Watch List

John Campbell Jr., OL, R-Sr.
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
 
Bryson Eason, DL, R-Sr.
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
 
Nico Iamaleava, QB, R-Fr.
Maxwell Award Watch List
 
Lance Heard, OL, So.
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
 
Cooper Mays, C, Sr.
Outland Trophy Watch List
Rimington Trophy Watch List
First-Team All-American (Walter Camp)
First-Team All-SEC (Media)
Second-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
 
Bru McCoy, WR, R-Sr.
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
 
Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Sr.
Third-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
 
James Pearce Jr., DE, Jr.
Walter Camp Award Watch List
Lott Trophy Watch List
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
First-Team All-American (Athlon, Phil Steele, Walter Camp)
First-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Media, Phil Steele, Walter Camp)
 
Keenan Pili, LB, Sr.
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
 
Jackson Ross, P, So.
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
 
Dylan Sampson, RB, Jr.
Doak Walker Award Watch List
Third-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
 
Javontez Spraggins, OL, Sr.
Third-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
 
Omari Thomas, DL, Sr.
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
 
Squirrel White, WR, Jr.
Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Third-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Phil Steele)