Khaled Holmes among 51 named to Rimington Trophy watch list


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Senior center Khaled Holmes has been named to the Rimington Trophy preseason watch list, the Rimington Trophy committee announced Tuesday.

The award, which is annually given to the best center in college football, will be presented in December. Fifty-one players were named to the watch list for the 2012 season, including five players from the Pac-12.

Holmes, a redshirt senior from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., was a second team All-Pac-12 selection last season, helping guide the Trojans to a 10-2 record and a No. 6 finish in the final Associated Press top-25 poll. He has started 25 games the last two seasons, playing center in 2011 and right guard the previous year.

The 6-foot-4 center joins senior quarterback Matt Barkley, sophomore wide receiver Marqise Lee, senior tailback Curtis McNeal and junior wide receiver Robert Woods as players on the offensive side of the ball named to preseason watch lists. Barkley, Lee, McNeal and Woods were all named to the Maxwell Award watch list Monday.

Also making preseason awards lists were senior safety sophomore linebacker Dion Bailey, senior safety T.J. McDonald and junior cornerback Nickell Robey each of whom was named to the Bednarik Award list, which is given each year to the best defensive player in college football.

Thirty-three players were also named to the John Mackey Award preseason watch list on Tuesday, but no Trojans were included.