Georgia State center Malik Sumter has been named to the Watch List for the 2020 Rimington Trophy, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding center in NCAA Division I college football.

Sumter, the junior from Irmo, S.C., and Dutch Fork High School, is in his third season as the Panthers' starting center after earning All-Sun Belt Conference honors a year ago.

He is a key cog in a potent Georgia State offense, helping the Panthers set school records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total offense, first downs, touchdowns and points in 2019.

Sumter is particularly valuable in the running game. Since he moved into the starting lineup 20 games ago, the Panthers have averaged 233 rushing yards per game. GSU ranked No. 13 in FBS in rushing last season, and through two games this fall, Panther running back Destin Coates leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 4 in FBS with 131.5 yards per game.

Since its inception, the 17-year old award has raised over $4.45 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis. Dave Rimington, the award's namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at Nebraska in 1981 and 1982.

Sumter and the Panthers are preparing for an ESPN Thursday night game at Arkansas State with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET from Jonesboro, Ark.