Ohio State University Seth McLaughlin Named 2024 Rimington Trophy Winner

New York, NY – Announced tonight on the virtual Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN, Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin has been named the 2024 Rimington Trophy winner, an award that marks him as the most outstanding center in Division I football.

Upon learning that he won, McLaughlin said, “I’m thrilled to be this year’s Rimington Trophy recipient. An award like this is a testament to the great support system I have around me, including my family, my coaches and my teammates. I am so fortunate that I had the chance to finish my career at Ohio State. Thank you to Coach Frye, Coach Kelly and Coach Day for helping to make this experience everything I could have ever wanted or needed.”

The Buford, Georgia, native had an impressive season with a number of accolades. The first-team all-Big Ten Conference center McLaughlin graded out as a “champion” in all 10 of his starts for Ohio State this season and was named a first-team midseason All-American by six organizations: Associated Press, The Athletic, CBS Sports, The Sporting News, Athlon and The Senior Bowl, before suffering an Achilles injury that ended his season. McLaughlin, a 34-game starter at center for Ohio State and Alabama, was named a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, which honors America’s top student-athlete, and already has two degrees (finance and a master’s in sports hospitality management) and a perfect, 4.00 undergraduate GPA.

About McLaughlin receiving the honor, Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day said “I am incredibly happy for Seth and his family. Seth is a leader and is absolutely the best center in America. From the moment he arrived on campus he began to help tie this offensive line unit together. His winning the Rimington Trophy is a well deserved honor.”

In his graduate season as Ohio State’s starting center, McLaughlin did not allow a sack across 207 pass blocking snaps and allowed only four QB pressures all season, according to Pro Football Focus. As a unit, OSU ranks No. 4 nationally with just 42.0 tackles for loss allowed and 16th nationally in fewest QB sacks allowed with 13. 

Selection Process

While more than a dozen All-America teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee uses these three prestigious teams to determine a winner:

• Walter Camp Foundation (WCF)
• ·Sporting News (SN)
• Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)

Because the selectors of these three All-America teams can place centers in a "mix" of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11-man first teams can often have two centers. The Rimington Trophy committee's policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they may be listed as guards or tackles on the All- America teams.

The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with the most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by a majority vote from the Rimington Trophy Committee, provided with data from Pro Football Focus.

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About the Rimington Trophy

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 $5.1 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The 2024 Rimington Trophy recipient will be honored in at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, NE on January 25, 2025. To learn more about Dave Rimington, the trophy’s namesake, and the event, please visit www.rimingtontrophy.com

The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.

About the Boomer Esiason Foundation

In 1993, Boomer Esiason’s son, Gunnar, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF). Boomer and his wife Cheryl founded the Boomer Esiason Foundation to raise funds and awareness for the cystic fibrosis community. To date, the Foundation has raised over $175 million and works to provide educational and financial resources to help people living with CF in the here and now.

About Pro Football Focus

Since 2006, PFF has separated themselves from the pack in their ability to provide game-changing data supported through studying every player, on everyplay, of every game. In 2014, they began to do so for college football. In 2024, PFF's college analysts, led by Max Chadwick, supported the Rimington Trophy in creating the Watchlist.

Rimington Trophy Contact:

Rich Hahn

646.292.7946

[email protected]