HOUSTON — UTSA senior defensive lineman Brandon Matterson has been named to the 2023 Lombardi Award™ Midseason Watchlist, the Lombardi Award™, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Houston, announced on Tuesday.
Matterson is one of 100 FBS players — including one of seven from the American Athletic Conference — who will compete for this year's coveted award, which is presented annually to the college football offensive or defensive lineman who exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi in addition to outstanding performance and ability.
A product of San Antonio Brandeis High School, Matterson has played in five games this season as part of the Roadrunners’ deep rotation on the defensive line. He has registered seven total tackles, with two behind the line of scrimmage including a sack, to go with a forced fumble and quarterback hurry. He has helped UTSA total 45 tackles for loss and 19 sacks, as the Roadrunners rank second in the league and in the top 13 nationally in both tackles for loss (7.5) and sacks (3.17) per game.
Matterson, an honorable mention all-conference performer, has posted 94 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup in 52 career contests.
To be considered for the Lombardi Award™, players must be an FBS team member and meet the following qualifications:
- Be a down lineman, end to end, either on offense or defense, setting up no further than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball at the time of the snap.
- Be a linebacker on defense, setting up no further than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.
- Must not come out of the offensive backfield and set up on the line of scrimmage as a blocker or a receiver or listed in the program as an offensive back or receiver.
- Be eligible to participate in the current season.
The list is carefully curated by a subcommittee of the Lombardi Award™ committee, focusing on players' past on-field performances and potential for the remainder of the 2023 college football season. Only athletes who have played in at least one NCAA Division I college or university game are eligible for inclusion.
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