DALLAS - The Bulldogs were once again represented on a national preseason watch list as Louisiana Tech offensive lineman O’Shea Dugas has been named to the 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List, the Football Writers Association of America announced on Thursday morning.

As a sophomore last season, Dugas played in every game for the Bulldogs while making 11 starts on the offensive line. In 2016, the Lafayette native helped lead a unit that ranked third nationally in tackles for loss allowed (3.71 per game). Dugas also helped pave the way for a group that ranked second nationally in scoring (44.3 points per game) and ninth nationally in total offense (514.7).

The 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List includes 24 offensive tackles, 21 defensive tackles, 19 centers and 17 offensive guards from all 10 Division I FBS conferences.

The Outland Trophy winner is chosen from three finalists who are a part of the annual FWAA All-America Team. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the entire membership, selects a 26-man first team and eventually the three Outland finalists. Committee members, then by individual ballot, select the winner. Only interior linemen on offense or defense are eligible for the award; ends are not eligible.

The list will be trimmed to six or seven semifinalists on Wed, Nov. 15. Six days later, three Outland Trophy finalists will be named by the FWAA. The winner of the 72nd Outland Trophy – named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at Penn at the turn of the 20th century, will be announced live on ESPN at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thurs., Dec. 7. For the third straight year, the show will air from the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

The Outland Trophy presentation banquet, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee, will be held on Jan. 10, 2018 in Omaha, Neb. Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will receive the Tom Osborne Legacy Award at the same banquet.

The Outland 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 23 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.

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