BOONE, N.C. — App State senior offensive linemen
Noah Hannon and
Baer Hunter have been named to the watch list for the 2020 Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the nation's best interior lineman on offense or defense.
The inclusion of Hannon, a center, and Hunter, a right guard, made App State just one of three Group of Five programs with two offensive linemen on the list. After starting next to each other in every game of a 13-1 season in 2019, they have been named preseason first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selections by the Phil Steele, Athlon, Lindy's and Street and Smith publications.
In each of the previous two years, App State's offensive line ranked as a top-15 unit nationally on the Joe Moore Award Honor Roll. The 13-1 team ranked in the top 25 nationally by both rushing for 231.4 yards per game and allowing just 18 sacks.
Hannon has started at center in all 40 games that App State has played since he enrolled, beginning that streak as a true freshman at Georgia in 2017. Hunter has started 26 times at offensive guard during the previous two seasons — after spending most of his first two years on campus as a defensive lineman.
The Outland Trophy watch list was announced by the Football Writers Association of America.
