MANHATTAN, Kan. (K-State Athletics) – Kansas State senior left guard Cooper Beebe is one of seven players in the nation to be named a semifinalist for the 2023 Outland Trophy, the Greater Omaha Sports Committee and Football Writers Association of America announced Wednesday evening.
Beebe is the first player in school history to become a semifinalist for the award that is presented annually to the nation’s best college interior lineman on offense or defense. He is joined on this year’s list by Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zahn Newton, Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt, Michigan guard Zak Zinter, Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson and Oregon State guard Taliese Fuaga.
From the list of seven players, three will be selected as finalists for the award on November 28. The recipient of the 2023 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN on December 8 at 6 p.m. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner in Omaha, Nebraska, on January 10, 2024.
A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Beebe has started 45 career games to rank fifth among Wildcat offensive linemen in 1990. This season, he has helped K-State rank 14th nationally in rushing (202.1 yards per game), while the Wildcats are tied for 12th overall and tied for first in the Big 12 with 25 rushing touchdowns. Beebe played all over the line over the first six games of 2023, playing 320 snaps at left guard, 106 snaps at right tackle and 20 snaps at left tackle. He has since settled in at left guard over the last four games, playing all 275 offensive snaps at the position. He has even played three plays at defensive tackle to help with depth at the position due to injury, and he carded a tackle against Baylor.
The Outland Trophy is the third award that Beebe is still in contention for this season as he is one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award and one of 16 finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, often referred to as the “Academic Heisman.”
Beebe and the 21st-ranked Wildcats take on in-state rival and No. 25 Kansas in Lawrence this Saturday inside Memorial Stadium. The game, which kicks at 6 p.m., will be televised by FS1.
