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Maryland center Michael Hershey continues to earn national recognition heading into the 2026 season. The Terps' offensive line anchor was named to the 2026 Rimington Trophy Watch List on Thursday. The award is presented annually to the nation's top center. For Hershey, the honor is another sign of the growing buzz surrounding his emergence as one of the Big Ten's top offensive linemen. The former three-star recruit arrived in College Park with little fanfare, choosing Maryland over offers from Charlotte, James Madison and Western Michigan. After serving as a rotational backup during his freshman season, Hershey took over as the starting center in 2025 following Josh Kaltenberger's departure to the NFL -- now with the Los Angeles Chargers. Entering his second season as the starter, Hershey has become one of the leaders of Maryland's offense and has steadily climbed onto the NFL Draft radar. That rise was evident last week when Hershey represented Maryland alongside the team's top two players, quarterback Malik Washington and linebacker Daniel Wingate at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. Head coach Mike Locksley had high praise for his veteran center while speaking with reporters at the event. "Hershey will be a guy that by the end of the year, people will know the name Michael Hershey," Locksley said. "Super smart, tough, reliable. As you know, the center position is kind of the escort, the Secret Service for the quarterback and how he gets the lines all set up. And Hershey's one of those smart, tough, reliable players." National analysts have taken notice as well. Earlier this offseason, The Athletic ranked Hershey as the No. 8 draft-eligible center in college football, further highlighting his growing reputation entering the fall. Hershey will once again be tasked with anchoring a Maryland offensive line that returns significant experience while helping guide sophomore quarterback Malik Washington in offensive coordinator Clint Trickett's first season calling plays. If Hershey continues his upward trajectory, the Rimington Trophy Watch List could be just the beginning of what shapes up to be a breakout season for one of Maryland's most overlooked success stories.