NEW YORK, N.Y. – For the third consecutive preseason, Purdue center Gus Hartwig has landed on the Rimington Trophy Watch List. A veteran snapping the ball to Boilermaker quarterbacks, Hartwig earned a spot on the list for the award going to the most outstanding center in college football.
The Rimington Trophy Committee joined Pro Football Focus (PFF) to narrow down the list to the nation's top 40 centers heading into the 2024 campaign. Hartwig was one of six Big Ten centers to make the watch list.
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in college football. Dave Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus First Team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the Outland Trophy's only two-time winner as the nation's finest college interior lineman.
A focal point on the Purdue offensive line since arriving on campus in 2020, Hartwig enters his fifth and final season as a Boilermaker. The four-time All-Big Ten Honorable Mention center has started 36 games throughout his career. Returning from an injury suffered at the end of the 2022 campaign, Hartwig started the final nine games last season and helped pave the way for Purdue to lead the Big Ten in rushing in conference games and record the most rushing yards (2,029) in a single season since 2012. As Purdue captured the Big Ten West title in 2022, Hartwig's blocking helped the Boilermakers lead the Big Ten in passing while also paving the way for Devin Mockobee to set the Purdue freshman record for rushing yards in a single season (968).
The Zionsville, Indiana, native has excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big Ten accolades three years in a row. Hartwig already has a Purdue degree in finance, and he is currently pursuing a master's degree in global supply chain management. He became a member of the 2024 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society by earning his degree and maintaining a cumulative GPA above 3.2.
Hartwig and the Boilermakers kick off the 2024 season against Indiana State (Aug. 31). The in-state, non-conference matchup is set for 12 p.m. ET on BTN.
The Rimington Trophy Committee joined Pro Football Focus (PFF) to narrow down the list to the nation's top 40 centers heading into the 2024 campaign. Hartwig was one of six Big Ten centers to make the watch list.
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding center in college football. Dave Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus First Team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the Outland Trophy's only two-time winner as the nation's finest college interior lineman.
A focal point on the Purdue offensive line since arriving on campus in 2020, Hartwig enters his fifth and final season as a Boilermaker. The four-time All-Big Ten Honorable Mention center has started 36 games throughout his career. Returning from an injury suffered at the end of the 2022 campaign, Hartwig started the final nine games last season and helped pave the way for Purdue to lead the Big Ten in rushing in conference games and record the most rushing yards (2,029) in a single season since 2012. As Purdue captured the Big Ten West title in 2022, Hartwig's blocking helped the Boilermakers lead the Big Ten in passing while also paving the way for Devin Mockobee to set the Purdue freshman record for rushing yards in a single season (968).
The Zionsville, Indiana, native has excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big Ten accolades three years in a row. Hartwig already has a Purdue degree in finance, and he is currently pursuing a master's degree in global supply chain management. He became a member of the 2024 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society by earning his degree and maintaining a cumulative GPA above 3.2.
Hartwig and the Boilermakers kick off the 2024 season against Indiana State (Aug. 31). The in-state, non-conference matchup is set for 12 p.m. ET on BTN.