Van Wells is making a name for himself this preseason.
The Oregon State Beavers center, who transferred from the Colorado Buffaloes during the offseason, has secured a spot on the watch list for two preseason college football awards.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 315 pounds, the junior from Houston has been placed on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, joining a select group of skilled offensive linemen.
Wells is among 40 players vying for the Rimington Trophy, which is presented each year to the nation’s top center. He is also one of 93 contenders for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, given annually to an offensive player with a Texas connection who exemplifies integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community, and tenacity.
Before joining the Beavers in Corvallis, Wells played in 20 games and made 11 starts for the Buffaloes, logging over 1,000 snaps. He earned an 80.7 pass-blocking grade as a sophomore last season, according to Pro Football Focus, which evaluates every college player in each game.
The winner of the Rimington Trophy is partly determined by PFF grades and will be chosen by a committee based on All-American teams from the Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News, and Football Writers Association of America.
To qualify for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, a player must either graduate from a Texas high school or play at a Texas university. Wells is a graduate of C.E. King High School in Houston. The award’s watch list will be narrowed down to 16 semifinalists in November and five finalists in December, with the winner announced at a banquet on January 22 in Tyler, Texas.
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