A third Ram has been named to a preseason awards watch list.
The Football Writers Association of America named Colorado State senior right guard Fred Zerblis to the 2016 Outland Trophy Watch List Friday morning.
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The Outland Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding interior linemen — offense or defense — in all of college football.
The list includes the names of 70 players throughout the country; Zerblis joins 19 other guards on the list.
The senior out of Grayson, Ga. Has started all 26 games the last two seasons and in 2015 was voted by coaches and media to the to the All-Mountain West second-team.
Zerblis was a mainstay on an offensive line that ranked third in the Mountain West in yards per game (417.0) last season, and also put up good numbers nationally in sacks allowed per game (1.17; 22nd), and third-down conversion rate (46.0 percent; 20th).
Former CSU linemen and current NFL players Westo Richburg (2012 and 2013) and Erik Pears (2004) were also named to the Outland Trophy watch list in their respective years.
The FWAA will select the Outland Trophy winner from three finalists chosen from the annual FWAA All-America team. The winner will be announced live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football awards show on Dec. 8. The trophy presentation will be held Jan. 11, in Omaha, Neb.
Zerblis joins fellow offensive linemen Jake Bennett (Rimington Trophy) and punter Hayden Hunt (Ray Guy Award) as Rams to be named on a preseason award watch list.
Collegian sports editor Chad Deutschman can be reached by email at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @ChadDeutschman
