Kentucky tackle makes watch list for Outland Trophy

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When Will Stein took over as the head coach of the Kentucky football team, one of his first priorities was rebuilding the big blue wall up front. To do so, he went into the transfer portal and added a number of talented players with big-game experience, including former Tennessee Volunteers tackle Lance Heard.

Heard was a two-year starter for the Vols who transferred to Lexington for his senior season. He came to Kentucky with plenty of fanfare and was immediately named a second-team All-SEC tackle by the media. Now, he has also been named to the Outland Trophy watch list, as announced by the team on social media.

The Outland Trophy is presented yearly to the nation's top interior lineman. Last season, Utah tackle Spencer Fano was the winner, while only one Wildcat has won the award, and that was Bob Gain in 1950.

Heard was a five-star recruit out of high school in Louisiana, and has proven to be an effective player in college. Stein will be counting on him to be a leader up front and protect quarterback Kenny Minchey's blind side. Heard has allowed just three sacks as a starter, and if he can repeat that success this year, he could be a front-runner for this award.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky tackle makes watch list for Outland Trophy

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