The Rimington Trophy became the first major college football award to release its preseason watch list Tuesday, naming eight SEC players among the 50 current candidates.

Here are the SEC players on the current watch list. Keep in mind that players not on the list still are eligible to win the award.

Alan Knott, South Carolina
Evan Boehm, Missouri
Ethan Pocic, LSU
Jon Toth, Kentucky
Mike Matthews, Texas A&M
Mitch Smothers, Arkansas
Ryan Kelly, Alabama
Spencer Pulley, Vanderbilt

Boehm, Kelly, Matthews and Smothers likely will compete for All-SEC honors. Kelly earned honorable mention All-SEC status in 2014. Those four are the most likely Rimington Trophy contenders from the conference.

Michigan State’s Jack Allen, a third-team Associated Press All-American in 2014, and UCLA’s Jake Brendel are other candidates to watch closely.

Last year’s winner, Reese Dismukes, played for Auburn. Five of the 16 all-time winners hailed from the SEC.

Several SEC schools are replacing standout centers this year, including Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State.