BYU football’s Mitchell, Tanuvasa named to Outland Trophy watch list

PROVO — Two of BYU football’s top seniors on the interior line received some preseason recognition Tuesday afternoon.

Starting center Bruce Mitchell and defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa were among the 68 players named to the 2026 Outland Trophy watch list, given annually to the nation’s top interior lineman.

Presented annually since 1946, the award presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is named for John H. Outland, the College Football Hall of Famer and former Penn lineman who earned All-America honors on both offense and defense.

Mitchell, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound center from Kamas, was named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-America second team and Athlon Sports preseason third team, as well as All-Big 12 preseason honors by league coaches and select media.

The co-captain who prepped at 2A South Summit started all 14 games for the Cougars as a junior in 2025, anchoring an offense line that averaged 31.4 points per game and ranked in the top-15 nationally in time of possession, rushing first downs, fewest sacks allowed and rushing touchdowns in front of star tailback LJ Martin.

Tanuvasa, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior from Mission Viejo, California, started all 14 games as a junior en route to All-Big 12 honorable mention honors.

The Football Writers Association of America has named Bruce Mitchell and Keanu Tanuvasa to the preseason watch list for the 2026 Outland Trophy. pic.twitter.com/NBTabDejTK

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) August 4, 2026

The former Utah transfer posted 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups and blocked a kick a year while leading the team as a defensive co-captain. That included a season high-tying four tackles in wins over Stanford and Cincinnati; batted down passes against Utah, Iowa State and Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game; and a blocked kick against Georgia Tech in the season-ending Pop-Tarts Bowl.

The Outland Trophy boasts a long history with players from the state of Utah. Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano won the award last season, and former BYU standouts Mo Elewonibi (1989) and Jason Buck (1986) were also honored in the selection.

Other honorees among the 68-player watch list this year include Utah State center Jimmy Liston, who started all 13 games for the Aggies a year ago and ranked sixth in the nation among centers by Pro Football Focus with an 87.1 average grade.

See the full list available here.