The three main contenders for the Heisman -- Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston -- were among the 16 semifinalists named Monday for the Davey O'Brien Award, which is given annually to the nation's top quarterback.
Manziel, last season's O'Brien winner, was one of five SEC quarterbacks selected; that's the most from any conference. He was joined by Alabama's A.J. McCarron, LSU's Zach Mettenberger, Georgia's Aaron Murray and South Carolina's Connor Shaw.
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The Pac-12 had three semifinalists: Mariota, UCLA's Brett Hundley and Oregon State's Sean Mannion.
The ACC -- Winston and Clemson's Tajh Boyd -- and the AAC -- UCF's Blake Bortles and Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater -- had two semifinalists apiece.
The others: Fresno State's Derek Carr, Northern Illinois' Jordan Lynch, Ohio State's Braxton Miller and Baylor's Bryce Petty. Miller was a finalist last season.
The semifinalists were selected by a committee, which was asked to consider quarterback skills, athletic ability, academics, character, leadership and sportsmanship. Fans can help determine the winner at www.voteobrien.org. Voting closes Nov. 24.
The three finalists will be announced Nov. 25, and the winner will be announced Dec. 12.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
