Wilson Named to Rimington Trophy Preseason Watchlist

NEW YORK – Virginia’s Brady Wilson has been named to the 2025 Rimington Trophy Watchlist, the Boomer Esiason Foundation announced Friday (Aug. 8). The trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in the nation. 

Wilson, who transferred to UVA from University of Alabama at Birmingham, earned his way on to the list for the third consecutive year and is one of nine ACC centers on the list. He was the highest graded (86.1) ACC interior offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus (PFF) entering the 2025 season. During his four-year stint (2021-24) at UAB, Wilson appeared in 37 games, including 31 starts. A team captain for the Blazers, he earned the No. 4 offensive blocking grade (83.1) among all FBS centers last season, according to PFF. Wilson also did not allow a sack in 542 passing snaps in 2024. 

This year, the Trophy committee worked with 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. Once the season begins, schools will be able to nominate their centers for late addition based on in-season merit. 

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. 

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 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 which time he became the John Outland Trophy’s only two-time winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman. For more on the Rimington Trophy, visit www.rimingtontrophy.com 

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. 

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs, digestive system, and reproductive system of about 40,000 Americans by causing a thick build-up of mucus that leads to blockage, inflammation, and infection. 

About Pro Football Focus
Since 2006, PFF has built the world’s most comprehensive sports data and analytics database, relied on by top industry professionals and fans alike to power winning decisions. PFF analyzes every player and every play of every game to calculate player grades, in-depth performance stats, and rankings for the NFL, fantasy football, and NFL Draft. All 32 NFL teams use PFF data and tools, as do all 136 FBS teams, 90 FCS teams, professional leagues like CFL and UFL, media networks, player agencies, video game companies, and more. PFF is transforming sports strategy and decision-making across fantasy football and betting, in the front office and on the field. In 2025, PFF’s college analysts supported the Rimington Trophy in creating the Watchlist. 

About the NCFAA
The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.