Pitt center Jimmy Morrissey has been placed on the watch list for the Dave Rimington Trophy.
Morrissey, originally a walk-on at Pitt from La Salle College H.S. near Philadelphia, started 23 straight games for the Panthers, beginning with the first game of his redshirt freshman season in 2017 and continuing through the Wake Forest game last season, when he was lost to a season-ending ankle injury.
Even with the injury-shortened season, Morrissey was named a third-team All-ACC selection, the first Pitt player to be honored at that position.
Morrissey will be put into an leadership role the lone returning starter on Pitt’s offensive line for 2019,
The Rimington Trophy selection is tied to the All-America selections of the American Football Coaches Association, the Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News and the Football Writers of America.
The trophy was established in 2000, and Pitt has not had a player win the award. Last season, Garrett Bradbury from NC State was selected.
Morrissey is the third Pitt player to be named to a preseason watch list, joining wide receiver and kick returner Maurice Ffrench (Maxwell Award) and safety Damar Hamlin (Bednarik Award).