EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was named to the watch list for the 2023 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award on Tuesday, while defensive end Brandon Dorlus and offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson landed on the midseason watch list for the 2023 Lombardi Award.
Lanning is one of 26 head coaches on the watch list for the Bryant Award, which is given annually to the top head coach in college football. Lanning is one of five Pac-12 head coaches on the list.
In his second season, Lanning has led the Ducks to a 5-1 start after going 10-3 with a win in the Holiday Bowl in 2022. Oregon leads the nation in both scoring offense (48.5 PPG) and total offense (553.3 YPG), and its much-improved defense under Lanning ranks 11th in scoring (15.8 PPG) and 13th in total defense (282.2 YPG). UO is one of just four teams in the nation to rank in the top 15 in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
Dorlus and Powers-Johnson are among 100 players on the midseason watch list for the Lombardi Award, presented annually to the college football offensive or defensive linemen who exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame head coach Vince Lombardi in addition to outstanding performance and ability.
Dorlus is tied for the team lead with 3.0 sacks this season while ranking second with 3.5 tackles for loss, and he leads all Pac-12 defensive linemen with four pass breakups. The senior is credited by Pro Football Focus with a team-high 21 total pressures this season, tied for ninth-most in the Pac-12.
Powers-Johnson has started all six games at center for an Oregon offensive line that earlier on Tuesday was named to the midseason honor roll for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the top offensive line in college football. Powers-Johnson leads Oregon with 19 knockdowns this season, and is the top-graded pass-blocking center in the nation by PFF with a stellar 90.0 grade. The junior has surrendered just one pressure in 230 opportunities, and was named the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week following Oregon’s win over Colorado.
