On an offensive line that was a massive issue for LSU in 2025, Braelin Moore was the lone bright spot. Many thought that he could opt for the NFL Draft following a solid junior year, but the veteran decided to return to Baton Rouge and he’s now set for a big season as a 5th year senior. On Thursday, he was named to the Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List.
Named after Dave Rimington after he became
the first two-time winner of the Outland Trophy at Nebraska in the 80s, it’s given annually to the most outstanding center in Divsion I football. Moore would become only the second player in LSU history to win it, following Ben Wilkerson who was a co-winner in 2004.
With 40 games of experience across four years of college football, he’s the perfect anchor for a rebuilt offensive line under Eric Wolford.
Moore has already been selected to the Preseason Third-Team All-SEC and is currently ranked as the #4 center among the 2027 NFL Draft class by NFL Draft Buzz. Mike Renner of CBS views him as an early day 3 draft pick as of now, which would be around the 4th round.
As for Pro Football Focus, he’s listed as an honorable mention just outside of the top-10 of returning centers. Moore finished 2025 with an 81.8 pass-blocking grade, second among the SEC. His overall grade of 69.8 was top-25 in the Power Four.
Those numbers were especially impressive considering that he played basically the entire season on a high-ankle sprain, which he sustained on the first play of scrimmage against Louisiana Tech in week 2. Moore still found a way to play in 12 games. Toughness was often questioned under the previous regime, which made his efforts that much more respectable.
The SEC found themselves with 10 other players on the watch list, including:
- Canon Boone (Mississippi St)
- Cole Best (Auburn)
- Coleton Price (Kentucky)
- Connor Robertson (Texas)
- Dominick Giudice (Missouri)
- Drew Bobo (Georgia)
- Harrison Moore (Florida)
- Jake Maikkula (Oklahoma)
- Lyndon Cooper (Vanderbilt)
- Mark Nabou Jr (Texas A&M)
Moore and the others on the list will be looking to dethrone 2025 Rimington Trophy winner Logan Jones from Iowa.
