The Rimington Trophy Committee proudly announces and congratulates its 2024 finalists for the most outstanding center in college football.

They are: 

Jacob Gideon, Western Michigan University  

Jacob Gideon is in his fifth and final season at Western Michigan. After red-shirting as a freshman, he immediately stepped in and started all 12 games during the 2021 season as a guard. In 2022 he quickly established himself as the premiere center in the Mid-American Conference, starting in 10 games before suffering a season-ending injury. He bounced back and started all 12 games in 2023 and was named First Team All-MAC. He repeated the honors in 2024 and has been named the top center in the MAC by Pro Football Focus in each of the last season. WMU has produced a 1,000-yard rusher in three of the four seasons in which he was a starter. The Union, Ky., native also takes care of things in the classroom as a two-time Academic All-MAC selection. He was also named CSC Academic -All District in 2023. 

Cooper Mays, University of Tennessee 

Mays is a captain and four-year starter for a Tennessee team that won 10 games in 2024 and reached its first College Football Playoff berth. The Kingston, Tennessee, native paved the way and protected for an offense that averaged 462.9 yards per game, which ranked second in the SEC and ninth in the FBS. Mays was the catalyst for a Volunteer rushing attack that led the SEC for the second straight season, putting up 232.0 yards per game on the ground. For the season, Mays played 816 offensive snaps and did not allow a sack or a QB hit. The senior has played in 52 games with 44 career starts and has not allowed a sack in 26 straight appearances, which dates back to the 2022 season. 

Seth McLaughlin, The Ohio State University  

First-team all-Big Ten Conference center Seth McLaughlin graded out as a “champion” in all 10 of his starts for Ohio State this season and was a mid-season All-American on six media organization lists before suffering an Achilles injury that ended his season. He did not allow a sack across 207 pass blocking snaps and allowed only four pressures all season, according to Pro Football Focus. As a unit, Ohio State ranks No. 4 nationally with just 42.0 tackles for loss allowed and 16th nationally in fewest QB sacks allowed with 13. McLaughlin, a 34-game starter at center for Ohio State and Alabama, is 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. 

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: 

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.