By Danielle Daniels
December 9, 2024
Star performer on and off the field vying for top positional and academic awards
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Seth McLaughlin, the graduate transfer center who led the Ohio State offensive line for 10 games before he suffered an Achilles injury that ended his season, was today named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, which is presented to the nation’s outstanding center by the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The winner will be announced Thursday evening.
McLaughlin was named a first-team all-Big Ten Conference center by the league’s coaches last week after a season in which he graded out as a “champion” in all 10 of his starts. He did not allow a sack across 207 pass blocking snaps and allowed only four pressures all season, according to Pro Football Focus. McLaughlin is a 34-game starter at center at Ohio State and Alabama.
As a unit, and through two season-ending injuries to starters, Ohio State ranks No. 4 nationally with just 42.0 tackles for loss allowed and it ranks 16th nationally in fewest QB sacks allowed with 13.
Ohio State has had three Rimington Trophy winners: Billy Price (2017), Pat Elflein (2016) and LeCharles Bentley (2001).
McLaughlin, injured the week of Ohio State’s game against Indiana, is in Las Vegas these next two days as a finalist for the National Football Foundation’s William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes the absolute best in the nation for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
McLaughlin already has two degrees (finance and a master’s in sports hospitality management) and has a perfect, 4.00 undergraduate grade point average.
The winner of the 2024 Rimington Trophy will be announced Thursday evening.
2024 Ohio State Major Award Finalists
- Bednarik Award – Caleb Downs
- Lott IMPACT Trophy – Caleb Downs
- Rimington Trophy – Seth McLaughlin
- Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year – Jeremiah Smith
- Thorpe Award – Caleb Downs
- William V. Campbell Trophy – Seth McLaughlin
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