Penn State football stars Michal Menet and Pat Freiermuth were both named to preseason award watch lists Friday afternoon.

Offensive lineman Michal Menet earned a spot on the Rimington Trophy preseason watchlist, while star tight end Pat Freiermuth was named to the Mackey Award preseason watch list. The awards are presented annually to the best center and tight end in college football, respectively.

These nominations should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Penn State’s program. Menet started 12 games at center for the Nittany Lions in 2018 and is poised to become the “quarterback for the offensive line” heading into 2019. The veteran center’s presence also helped Penn State finish 16th nationally in red zone offense this past year.

Meanwhile, Freiermuth earned a spot on the list following an impressive 2018 season in which he hauled in 26 receptions for 368 yards and scored a team-leading eight touchdowns — the most for a freshman tight end in program history. His impressive rookie campaign resulted in freshman All-American honors from ESPN and 247Sports as well as honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors.

Menet and Freiermuth represent just a small fraction of Penn State’s preseason award nominations so far. Wide receiver KJ Hamler earned nominations for the Biletnikoff Award and the Maxwell Award this week, while Yetur Gross-Matos and Micah Parsons were named to the Bednarik Award preseason watch list. Additionally, punter Blake Gillikin was nominated for the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.