Interior linemen don’t tend to get as much attention as their counterparts elsewhere on the field, but college football has several high-level players who will compete for the 2026 Outland Trophy.
There are a number of prestigious awards a player can receive at the end of a given college football season, but only a select few can hold a candle to the level of prestige that comes with winning the Outland Trophy. The award has been given to the most outstanding interior lineman in college football on either side of the ball since 1946, making it the third-oldest individual trophy in the sport.
The Outland Trophy, which is voted on by the Football Writers Association of America, has been given to a list of offensive and defensive lineman who have come to define the history of college football. That includes names such as Joe Rimington, Jonathan Ogden, Ndamakong Suh, and Aaron Donald.
Heading into the 2026 season, there are a handful of candidates who could emerge to win one of college football’s most prestigious awards. Stars like Texas OT Trevor Goosby, Oregon DT A’mauri Washington, and Missouri OT Cayden Green are leading contenders to take home the award. Not to mention, the Indiana Hoosiers have candidates on each side of the ball in DT Tyrique Tucker and OT Carter Smith.
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Top Candidates for the 2026 Outland Trophy
DT Tyrique Tucker, Indiana
When it comes to disrupting a game and making things difficult for an opposing quarterback, it’s hard to argue any defensive tackle in the country is as effective as Indiana’s Tyrique Tucker. The 2025 first team All-Big Ten member racked up 6 sacks and 38 total tackles as an anchoring member of the Hoosiers’ national championship winning defense. Two of those sacks came in Indiana’s signature 63-10 win over No. 9 Illinois in late September of last season, and his 1.5 sack performance against UCLA in late October was one of the many highlights in a 56-6 shellacking handed out by Indiana.
Area that stood out the most – the DL. Tyrique Tucker is borderline unblockable – whole group is just fabulous.
In the discussion for the best B1G DL we’ve seen in 20 years of doing this – incredibly deep and talented.
Great additions – including Tobi Osunsanmi from K-State pic.twitter.com/xuY2p0mZDY
— Dave Revsine (@BTNDaveRevsine) August 14, 2026
OT Trevor Goosby, Texas
If Arch Manning and Texas want to have the national championship season that so many think they are due for in Austin, then Trevor Goosby is once again going to have to be among the best offensive tackles in the country. Luckily for Texas, there are few players in the country more qualified. Taking over after first round pick Kelvin Banks departure for the NFL, Goosby earned first-team All-SEC honors and led Texas to a 7-1 record in the team’s final eight games. Goosby was especially effective against Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, pushing the Longhorns to 235 yards on the ground in a 41-27 victory. Goosby did go down with an injury in camp that will keep him out 2-3 weeks, but he’ll likely be available for Texas’ season opener against
DT A’mauri Washington, Oregon
While Oregon’s A’mauri Washington isn’t quite the pass rush threat that Tucker is at Indiana, he’s arguably just as disruptive and even more so in the passing game. On his way to first team All-American honors in 2025, Washington racked up 38 total tackles and 7 pass deflections to go along with 1.5 sacks. Washington was one of Oregon’s best players in the Ducks’ 30-24 double overtime win at No. 3 Penn State, matching his season high of 5 total tackles while helping hold the Nittany Lions to just 139 yards rushing and 137 yards passing, respectively.
“He’s a big reason why I think the Oregon Ducks have a legit shot to win a national title this year.”@BruceFeldmanCFB on Oregon DT A’Mauri Washington. pic.twitter.com/ap04SLuomS
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) August 12, 2026
OT Carter Smith, Indiana
Fernando Mendoza was the Hoosier who got all of the headlines during Indiana’s improbable run to the 2025 national championship, but that wouldn’t have been the case without the performance of his anchor in offensive tackle Carter Smith. Now that Mendoza is gone and TCU transfer Josh Hoover is taking the reins, you could make a legitimate case that Smith is the most important returning player on the team. Smith, a consensus All-American, was named the 2025 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year for his performance last season after the Hoosiers racked up six games with over 300 yards rushing.
OT Cayden Green, Missouri
Cayden Green made the switch from guard to tackle ahead of last season for Missouri, and it’s safe to say the decision paid off for both Green and the Tigers in spades. Green earned first team All-SEC honors and became a can’t miss NFL prospect, with several reputable mocks suggesting he could end up a first round pick with a solid 2026 campaign. Green was a major reason for running back Ahmad Hardy’s breakout season, helping push Hardy to a 1,649 yard season that ranked second nationally.
