Archbishop Murphy alum makes prestigious preseason watch list

By Theo Lawson / The Spokesman-Review

Washington State’s Abraham Lucas, one of the top returning offensive tackles in the Pac-12 Conference, was named Tuesday to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, which honors college football’s top interior lineman (offense and defense).

It marks the second consecutive year the Archbishop Murphy alum made the watch list, which included 85 players this season and 11 from the Pac-12 Conference. Lucas’ Pac-12 peers include 2019 Outland Trophy winner Penei Sewell, of Oregon, along with the Ducks’ Jordon Scott, Cal’s Jake Curhan, Stanford’s Drew Dalman and Walker Little, Oregon State’s Brandon Kipper, Washington’s Levi Onwuzurike, USC’s Jay Tufele and Alijah Vera-Tucker and Arizona State’s Dohnovan West.

Many have already made comparisons between Lucas and former WSU left tackle Andre Dillard, who was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, and Dillard constantly praised Lucas’ potential during his senior year with the Cougars.

A two-time All-Pac-12 selection, Lucas made 13 starts at right tackle last season after starting all 13 games his freshman season and being named to the Freshman All-America Team by USA TODAY and The Athletic.

As a sophomore in 2019, he was tabbed the best pass-blocking offensive tackle in the country and the fourth-best offensive tackle overall by the analytics website Pro Football Focus. Lucas was also named the Pac-12’s Offensive Lineman of the Week in 2019 after playing every snap and not allowing a sack in 70 pass attempts in the Cougars’ win over Oregon State that clinched a bowl berth.

The 6-foot-7, 324-pound Lucas also earned WSU’s “BONE” Award after his performance in WSU’s rout of Northern Colorado and earned the award on three separate occasions his freshman season, for his performance in wins over Stanford, Utah and Colorado.