Senior South Carolina football captain named to preseason watch list for major award

On Friday, South Carolina football senior Vershon Lee was named to the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy. The Rimington Trophy is named after Dave Rimington, a standout center for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who won the Outland Trophy twice as the top lineman in the sport.

Given out annually since 2000, the Rimington Trophy is given to college football's top center. The winner is chosen by examining the All-American teams announced by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News, and Walter Camp Foundation and counting up the amount of 1st team votes on the offensive line. Whichever primary center on the teams who received the most 1st team votes will win the Rimington Trophy.

Vershon Lee hasn't played much center for the Gamecocks but is expected to be the man in the middle this season. Last year, Lee won the center job in the preseason but was shifted to right tackle after five games because of the team's struggles on the outside of the line. He moves back inside this year and is believed to be staying at center.

During his career, Lee has started 27 games. He has 16 starts at left guard, 6 at right tackle, and 5 center and came off the bench to play right guard several times early in his time in Columbia.

Lee has gotten some preseason All-SEC love this offseason, and his inclusion as one of 40 players on the Rimington Trophy watch list echoes the positive word that has surrounded Lee this summer. A good season in garnet and black could see Lee get an NFL shot next year.

You can see the entire Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List below:

Drew Kendall, Boston College Eagles
Maurice Smith, Florida State Seminoles
Pete Nygra, Louisville Cardinals
Zeke Correll, NC State Wolfpack
Brian Stevens, Virginia Cavaliers
Luke Petitbon, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Levi Rogers, Stanford Cardinal
Weston Franklin, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Justin Osborne, SMU Mustangs
Parker Brailsford, Alabama Crimson Tide
Jake Slaughter, Florida Gators
Jared Wilson, Georgia Bulldogs
Branson Hickman, Oklahoma Sooners
Cooper Mays, Tennessee Volunteers
Jake Majors, Texas Longhorns
Connor Lew, Auburn Tigers
Connor Tollison, Missouri Tigers
Ethan Miner, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Vershon Lee, South Carolina Gamecocks
Gavin Gerhardt, Cincinnati Bearcats
Connor Pay, BYU Cougars
Joe Michalski, Oklahoma State Cowboys
Leif Fautanu, Arizona State Sun Devils
Logan Jones, Iowa Hawkeyes
Jonah Monheim, Southern Cal Trojans
Gus Hartwig, Purdue Boilermakers
Iapani Laloulu, Oregon Ducks
Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State Buckeyes
Ben Scott, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Van Wells, Oregon State Beavers
Jordan White, Liberty Flames
Canaan Yarro, New Mexico State Aggies
Brady Small, Army Black Knights
Brent Self, Navy Midshipmen
Federico Maranges, Florida Atlantic Owls
Brady Wilson, UAB Blazers
CJ James, UT-San Antonio Roadrunners
Jacob Gideon, Western Michigan Broncos
Landon Burton, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Jacob Bayer, Arkansas State Red Wolves