The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Lepkowski Named to 2026 Rimington Trophy Watch List
8/6/2026 11:00:00β―AM | Football
BIRMINGHAM β UAB graduate center Adam Lepkowski has been named to the 2026 Rimington Trophy Watch List, the award announced Thursday. Presented annually to the nation's most outstanding center, the Rimington Trophy recognizes the top players at the position in NCAA Division I football.
Lepkowski is one of 40 players nationally selected to the preseason watch list and one of four representatives from the American Conference, joining Army's Brady Small, Navy's Cam Nichols and FAU's Vincent Fiacable.
The honor adds to an impressive preseason for Lepkowski, who has been named First Team All-American Conference by Athlon Sports and Second Team All-American Conference by Phil Steele heading into the 2026 season.
A graduate student, Lepkowski returns to anchor UAB's offensive line after starting all 12 games at center in 2025. One of the veteran leaders on the Blazers' offense, he enters his final collegiate season as one of the conference's top returning linemen.
The Rimington Trophy committee partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) to select this year's preseason watch list, combining school nominations with PFF's play-by-play grading data to identify the nation's top 40 centers. Additional players may be added to the watch list during the season based on their on-field performance.
Named for Nebraska legend Dave Rimington, the award is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding center. The winner is determined using first- and second-team All-America selections from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America and Sporting News.
About the Rimington Trophy
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I college football. Since its inception, the award has raised more than $5 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The Rimington Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA).
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