Lead Story: SEC Dominates Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List
LSU center Braelin Moore was named to the Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List on Thursday, headlining a group of 11 SEC centers in the running for the award given annually to the most outstanding center in Division I football. Moore, a fifth-year senior with 40 games of experience, was the lone bright spot on an LSU offensive line that struggled in 2025 — and his numbers back it up. He finished last season with an 81.8 pass-blocking grade, second in the SEC, and an overall grade of 69.8 that ranked top-25 in the Power Four, all while playing through a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 2 that he carried across 12 games.
Moore passed on the NFL Draft to return to Baton Rouge, where he anchors a rebuilt LSU offensive line. He enters the fall as a Preseason Third-Team All-SEC selection, and NFL Draft Buzz ranks him the No. 4 center in the 2027 draft class. If he wins the Rimington, he would become just the second LSU Tiger to do so, joining Ben Wilkerson, a co-winner in 2004.
The SEC's depth at the position is striking: Moore is joined on the list by Canon Boone (Mississippi State), Cole Best (Auburn), Coleton Price (Kentucky), Connor Robertson (Texas), Dominick Giudice (Missouri), Drew Bobo (Georgia), Harrison Moore (Florida), Jake Maikkula (Oklahoma), Lyndon Cooper (Vanderbilt), and Mark Nabou Jr. (Texas A&M). All of them are chasing 2025 winner Logan Jones of Iowa.
Quick Hits
Kentucky's play-caller is heading upstairs. Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan told reporters at UK Football Media Day that he will call plays from the box this fall, the same setup he used at LSU. "I think you get to lay things out in front of you. It's a calm atmosphere," Sloan said. Play-calling will be a collaborative effort among the offensive staff, with Sloan relaying calls to quarterback Kenny Minchey.
Florida gymnast Skye Blakely is tied for first in the all-around after the opening day of the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, per Florida's athletics site. The rising Gator junior sits atop the leaderboard heading into the final day of competition.
LSU golfer Ryleigh Knaub keeps rolling at the U.S. Women's Amateur, winning again to advance to the Round of 16.
Future Gator sprinter Imani Mills advanced to the semifinals of the 200-meter dash at the World Athletics U20 Championships on Friday while representing Trinidad and Tobago.
Missouri hoops looks ahead with Nicholas Randall. The freshman forward appeared in 22 of the Tigers' 33 games, averaging 5.5 minutes in limited action behind Mark Mitchell, and shot 5-of-18 from the field. The tools — positional size, athleticism, defense, and rebounding — are there for a sophomore leap, and Missouri has seen that arc before: Trent Pierce jumped from a 71.6 offensive rating as a freshman to 120.5 as a sophomore.
Portal Watch
A quiet 12 hours on the transfer front — no new SEC portal entries or commitments to report. With fall camps in full swing across the conference, expect roster movement to stay minimal until playing-time pictures come into focus.
Recruiting Buzz
Georgia basketball opened its 2027 class in style. North Oconee shooting guard Justin Wise, a four-star prospect ranked the No. 5 shooting guard and No. 63 overall player in the 2027 cycle per 247Sports, announced his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs on Instagram, choosing the home-state school over Miami, Tennessee, Texas, Vanderbilt, and a host of other programs. The pledge is notable beyond the ranking: Georgia has struggled to keep the Peach State's annual wave of elite talent home, and no player ranked No. 1 in the state by 247Sports has stayed in Athens since Anthony Edwards in 2019. Landing a top-50 national recruit from just down the road is a meaningful step for a roster coming off consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
Games to Watch
No SEC games are on the schedule today, but the countdown is on. Kentucky opens its season at home against Youngstown State on September 5 — just under a month away — and fall camps continue across the conference, with Vanderbilt wrapping day three of its preseason work.
