PITTSBURGH — Pitt’s man in the middle on the offensive line, junior center Jimmy Morrissey, was announced on Friday afternoon as a preseason watch-list candidate for the Rimington Trophy annually presented to the best center in college football.

(Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics)

Morrissey earned third-team All-ACC honors at center last season, becoming Pitt’s first player at the position to receive that distinction.

A native of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Morrissey started 23 consecutive games at center for the Panthers over the last two years before suffering a season-ending injury in Pitt’s win at Wake Forest (Nov. 17) as the Panthers clinched the ACC Coastal Division title.

Morrissey was pivotal in Pitt’s run to the ACC Championship Game in 2018, paving the way as the Panthers won four consecutive league games to secure the Coastal crown for the first time in program history.

Perhaps his most dominant performance came in the victory over Virginia Tech (Nov. 10) as Pitt secured a 52-22 win while rolling up a school-record 654 yards of total offense, including 492 on the ground. Morrissey was named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts against the Hokies.

A former walk-on who is now being touted as one of the premier centers in the ACC and nationally, Morrissey is Pitt’s only returning starter on the offensive line and will play a crucial role in the Panthers’ quest to return to the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte in 2019.