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The Joe Thomas Award is given annually to the state's top senior offensive lineman as part of the WSN Senior Football Awards. The award is named after former Brookfield Central and University of Wisconsin athlete Joe Thomas, who went on to great success in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. After an All-American career at UW, Thomas was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl each of his first ten years in the league and was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame

The pre-season watch list was trimmed down to 30 semi-finalists, and five finalists for the award have now been selected. Winners are announced the week of the state finals.

Donovan Harbour seems like he’s been a fixture up front for Catholic Memorial forever, but is one of the top Class of 2024 linemen in the entire country. Ranked inside the top 150 nationally, he’s coming off an All-State junior campaign that saw him dominate up front once again. Harbour gave a commitment to Penn State along with teammate Corey Smith.

Derek Jensen has been a top-level player at Arrowhead and considered one of the state’s best 2024 prospects for quite some time, and has always lived up to the billing. He was a First Team All-State choice last year as the leader of a very talented offensive line group. Offered by the new Wisconsin staff, he committed to the Badgers in early April. "Thrust into the limelight as a young player due to his size, he has handled all of that superbly," said Arrowhead coach Matt Harris. "I am proud of how each year he has become more and more a leader. He has really turned into a spectacular technician on the offensive line. His dedication to knowing every detail of the offense has helped take his game to the next level."

Nathan Roy of Mukwonago has continued to climb the ladder as one of the elite prospects in the state and locked down the number one position in our Class of 2024 Player Rankings. He was a First Team All-State pick last year in a loaded offensive line group. He received a host of offers from around the country, but after cutting his list to UCLA, Michigan State, and Minnesota, he surprised many by giving a commitment to the border state Gophers. "He is the complete package for an offensive lineman," said Mukwonago coach Mike Gnewuch. "He is aggressive, athletic, fast, agile, etc. He can run block (gap or zone), pass block, block in space; there isn't anything he can't do on the offensive line." Unfortunately Roy suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the regular season.

Grey Rumohr was a key piece up front for the Division 2 state champion Kettle Moraine Lasers in 2022 when he was a First Team All-Conference pick on both sides of the ball. "We have been good at running the ball this year, and much of that is due to Grey," said head coach Matt McDonnell. "It is no secret that he is our best offensive lineman. We move him around a little bit as well. He is outstanding downblocking, pulling, and in pass pro. He is a massive part of our offensive success." Rumohr received more than a dozen offers before giving a commitment to Northern Illinois.

Mitch Verstegen of Kaukauna earned unanimous First Team All-Conference recognition in the FVA last year, a league long known for producing high-level offensive line talent. He is a repeat unanimous pick this season for the Galloping Ghosts, adding Offensive Lineman of the Year laurels in the FVA. His potential was certainly recognized at the collegiate level, where he garnered considerable FBS and FCS interested, with his first offer coming via FCS national champion South Dakota State before ultimately committing to Big Ten team Indiana in mid-April. "I think Mitch's athleticism separates him from a lot of big strong kids," said head coach Matt Binsfeld. "Mitch can really run and has been able to do things for us that a typical offensive lineman can't do." 

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.