Hawk Item – – One of 10 juniors named to 2021 Player Council . . . one of seven sophomores named to 2020 Leadership Group . . . redshirted in 2018 after seeing action in just two games . . . one of 12 true freshmen to see action in 2018 . . . moved from defensive line to offensive line following 2018 regular season . . . earned Dean’s List recognition spring, 2020.
2021 Honors – – Roy Carver Most Valuable Player, offense . . . Permanent Team Captain, offense . . . Hayden Fry Award, offense . . . Iron Hawk Award . . . Academic All-Big Ten . . . recipient of 2021 Rimington Trophy, awarded to the best center in college football . . . unanimous consensus All-American, becoming 12th player in program history to earn that distinction and 28th player to be named comsensus . . . first-team All-America by Walter Camp, FWAA, Associated Press, Sporting News, AFCA, and Phil Steele . . . Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year . . . first-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media, Associated Press, and Phil Steele . . . one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy . . . one of four finalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award . . . named midseason first-team All-America by Associated Press, The Athletic, CBSSports.com and Sporting News . . . named Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List . . . named to Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List . . . named to Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List . . . named to Big Ten Conference Preseason Honor List . . . preseason first-team All-America by Associated Press, The Athletic, Athlon Sports, Sporting News and Phil Steele . . . preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele . . . 2021 – – Started at center in 34-6 win over #17 Indiana . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 27-17 win at #9 Iowa State . . . started at center in 30-7 win over Kent State as offense rushed for 206 yards and gained 418 yards total offense . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 24-14 win over Colorado State . . . started at center in 51-14 win at Maryland as offense gained 428 yards total offense . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 23-20 win over #4 Penn State . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 24-7 loss to Purdue . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 27-7 loss at Wisconsin . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 17-12 win at Northwestern as offense gained 185 net rushing yards . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 27-22 win over Minnesota . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 33-23 win over Illinois . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 28-21 win at Nebraska as offense gained 186 net rushing yards . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 42-3 loss to #2 Michigan . . . started at center in 20-17 Citrus Bowl loss to #22 Kentucky as offense rushed for 173 yards and gained 384 yards total offense.
2020 Honors – – One of three finalists for Rimington Trophy . . . first-team All-America by Pro Football Focus and The Athletic . . . second-team All-America by Associated Press, FWAA, Walter Camp and Phil Steele . . . first-team All-Big Ten by league media . . . first-team All-Big Ten by Associated Press and Phil Steele . . . second-team All-Big Ten by league coaches . . . Academic All-Big Ten . . . Rimington Trophy Watch List . . . preseason second-team All-America by Associated Press . . . preseason third-team All-America by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports . . . preseason fourth-team All-America by Pick Six Previews . . . preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . preseason second-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele and Pick Six Previews . . . 2020 – – Started all eight gams at center . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 24-20 loss at Purdue as offfense gained 460 yards total offfense . . . also recorded one solo tackle . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 21-20 loss to Northwestern . . . started at center in 49-7 win over Michigan State as offense rushed for 226 yards and gained 405 yards total offense . . . started at center in 35-7 win at Minnesota as offense rushed for 235 yards . . . also recorded one solo tackle . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 41-21 win at Penn State as offense gained 175 net rushing yards . . . also recorded one solo tackle . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 26-20 win over Nebraska . . . started at center in 35-21 win at Illinois as offense gained 424 yards total offense . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin.
2019 Honors – – Honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . 2019 – – Started at center in all 13 games . . . started at center in 38-14 win over Miami as offense gained 213 net rushing yards and 465 yards total offense . . . started at center in 30-0 win over Rutgers as offense gained 438 yards total offense . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 18-17 win at Iowa State . . . started at center in 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee as offense gained 644 yards total offfense . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 10-3 loss at #18 Michigan . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 17-12 loss to #9 Penn State . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 26-20 win over Purdue . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 20-0 win at Northwestern . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 24-22 loss at #16 Wisconsin . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 19-10 win over Illinois as offense gained 387 yards total offense . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 27-24 win at Nebraska . . . started at center and played every offensive down in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC.
2018 – – Redshirted . . . saw action vs. Northern Illinois and Illinois, but had no statistics.
High school honors – – Named U.S. Army All-American as a senior . . . named Iowa High School Male Athlete of the Year as a senior by Des Moines Register . . . named to All-Iowa Elite football team as a senior . . . district defensive MVP as a junior and senior . . . earned first-team all-state and all-district honors as offensive lineman as a junior and senior . . . first-team all-district as a sophomore . . . Career – – three-year letterman as offensive and defensive lineman . . . team won district title as a junior and senior, while posting three-year record of 26-8 . . . recorded 37 tackles as a senior, with three tackles for loss and two sacks . . . recorded 44 tackles as a junior, with 28 solos, and seven tackles for loss, three sacks, and a fumble recovery . . . as a sophomore recorded 27.5 tackles, with six tackles for loss and four sacks . . . team captain as a senior . . . also earned four letters in baseball and three in wrestling and track . . . posted 53-10 wrestling mark as a junior, placing fifth in state tournament at heavyweight . . . placed third in state wrestling tournament as a senior . . . qualified for Drake Relays in the shot put with a personal best of 54 feet as a junior . . . placed second in shot put and third in discus at state track meet as a senior . . . also played baseball, ranking among team leaders in runs and hits as a junior and senior.
Personal – – Born 4/7/2000 . . . enterprise leadership major . . . parents are Lisa and Todd Linderbaum . . . high school coach was Kevin Miller.