AUBURN, Ala. – Kaleb Kim, one of five starters returning on Auburn's offensive line this season, was named to the Rimington Trophy preseason watch list Friday. The award is given annually to the nation's most outstanding center.
Kim opened the 2018 season as the starting center, making his first career start against Washington. After starting the first three games, he later reclaimed the starting job against Texas A&M and closed out the season as the starter in the final five games, which included the 63-14 win over Purdue in the Music Bowl where Auburn gained 586 yards.
The redshirt senior is on track to graduate from the Harbert College of Business with a degree in marketing in August.
In 2014, former All-SEC offensive lineman Reese Dismukes became the first Auburn player to win the Rimington Trophy. Dismukes started 50 games in his college career. Since then, only Austin Golson has made the preseason watch list for the Tigers.
This year's winner will be selected by the Rimington Trophy committee, which looks at three All-America teams – the Walter Camp Foundation (WCF), the Sporting News (SN) and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). The center with the most first-team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first-team votes, then the center with the most second-team votes will win.
The winner will be recognized at the Rimington Trophy Presentation at the Rocco Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020.