After two consecutive years as a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield will get his third and final chance this fall with the player who finished ahead of him -- Houston Texans first-round pick Deshaun Watson -- finally out of the way.
The Davey O'Brien Award is presented to the top quarterback in college football, and Watson won the award in 2015 and 2016 as a star for the Clemson Tigers. Mayfield, USC QB Sam Darnold and defending Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson are among the most notable quarterbacks on the 2017 O'Brien Award watch list, which was released Tuesday. Jackson also was a finalist last year. The list includes 30 players, including six from the SEC, which led all conferences.
Quarterbacks can be added to the watch list later in the season. To qualify for the watch list, however, quarterbacks must have at least one game at their current institution. As such, transfers such as Auburn's Jarrett Stidham were not selected. Stidham is ranked the No. 6 quarterback to watch in college football by NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein. A group of 16 semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 7, followed by three finalists on Nov. 20. The winner will be announced on Dec. 7.
Recent recipients of the award include Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III and Cam Newton, each of whom also won the Heisman.
Note: Click through tabs above to see other watch lists.
2017 Davey O'Brien Award watch list
Austin Allen, Arkansas
Josh Allen, Wyoming
J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
Jake Bentley, South Carolina
Jake Browning, Washington
Shane Buechele, Texas
Sam Darnold, USC
Eric Dungey, Syracuse
Jacob Eason, Georgia
Jesse Ertz, Kansas State
Luke Falk, Washington State
Riley Ferguson, Memphis
Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
Quinton Flowers, USF
Deondre Francois, Florida State
Jalen Hurts, Alabama
Lamar Jackson, Louisville
Daniel Jones, Duke
Tanner Mangum, BYU
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Trace McSorley, Penn State
Shea Patterson, Ole Miss
Josh Rosen, UCLA
Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
Brett Rypien, Boise State
Brandon Silvers, Troy
Wilton Speight, Michigan
Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee
Mike White, WKU
Logan Woodside, Toledo
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
