Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields headline this year’s Davey O’Brien Award watch list nominees.
The Davey O’Brien Award is given to the best college quarterback each year. It’s no surprise that Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields are names to watch when it comes to winning this prestigious award.
These are the two most well-known college quarterbacks for the 2020 season and Lawrence has been heralded as the likelyNo. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft since the moment he took the field for the first time at Clemson. Lawrence has been the starter at Clemson for two years and has made it to the National Championship Game in both years.
Fields shone brightly in his first year at Ohio State after sitting on the sidelines at Georgia in 2018 and he led the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoffs, only to fall to Lawrence’s Tigers prior to reaching the title game.
The past three winners of the Davey O’Brien Award have gone on to be the number one pick in the next year’s draft and it wouldn’t be shocking if either of these guys landed the coveted trophy. Many probably expected Lawrence to win it last year, but Joe Burrow came out of absolutely nowhere to win both the award, the national title and was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
That paves the way for another lesser-known college quarterback to potentially do the same and be in the running. Some other names on the list include Ian Book (Notre Dame), Shane Buechele (SMU), Sam Ehlinger (Texas), Dillon Gabriel (UCF), Mac Jones (Alabama), Jamie Newman (Georgia), Brock Purdy (Iowa State), and Kyle Trask (Florida).
Newman is a name to watch at Georgia but does have USC transfer J.T. Daniels to battle with for the position.
Hopefully, we get a college football season and the next great talent emerges and shocks us all once again. This time last year, nobody was talking about Burrow and expecting him to be what he was, so it really could be just about anyone who rises up and becomes a college football legend.
Lawrence and Fields are going to be the frontrunners until – Well until they’re not. Until someone like Burrow from a year ago comes out of nowhere to wow us all.
Who will be that guy this year, or will there be a player like that?
2020 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List
- Hank Bachmeier, Boise State, So., 6-1, 200, Murrieta, Calif.
- Ian Book, Notre Dame, Sr., 6-0, 206, El Dorado Hills, Calif.
- Alan Bowman, Texas Tech, So., 6-3, 210, Grapevine, Texas
- Charlie Brewer, Baylor, Sr., 6-1, 206, Austin, Texas
- Shane Buechele, SMU, Sr., 6-1, 207, Arlington, Texas
- Jack Coan, Wisconsin, Sr., 6-3, 221, Sayville, N.Y.
- Sean Clifford, Penn State, Jr., 6-2, 219, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Dustin Crum, Kent State, Sr., 6-3, 201, Grafton, Ohio
- Micale Cunningham, Louisville, Jr., 6-1, 200, Montgomery, Ala.
- Jayden Daniels, Arizona State, So., 6-3, 175, San Bernardino, Calif.
- Sam Ehlinger, Texas, Sr., 6-3, 230, Austin, Texas
- Justin Fields, Ohio State, Jr., 6-3, 228, Kennesaw, Ga.
- Dillon Gabriel, UCF, So., 6-0, 186, Mililani, Hawaii
- Donald Hammond III, Air Force, Sr., 6-2, 220, Hampton, Ga.
- Sam Howell, North Carolina, So., 6-1 1/2, 225, Indian Trail, N.C.
- Mac Jones, Alabama, Jr., 6-2, 205, Jacksonville, Fla.
- D’Eriq King, Miami, Sr., 5-11, 195, Manvel, Texas
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, Jr., 6-6, 220, Cartersville, Ga.
- Levi Lewis, Louisiana, Sr., 5-10, 190, Baton Rouge, La.
- Kellen Mond, Texas A&M, Sr., 6-3, 217, San Antonio, Texas
- Tanner Morgan, Minnesota, Jr., 6-2, 215, Union, Ky.
- Jamie Newman, Georgia, Sr., 6-4, 230, Graham, N.C.
- Bo Nix, Auburn, So., 6-2, 207, Pinson, Ala.
- Brock Purdy, Iowa State, Jr., 6-1, 212, Gilbert, Ariz.
- Chris Robison, Florida Atlantic, Jr., 6-1, 200, Mesquite, Texas
- Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State, So., 6-1, 199, Denton, Texas
- Kedon Slovis, USC, So., 6-2, 200, Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Zac Thomas, Appalachian State, Sr., 6-1, 210, Trussville, Ala.
- Kyle Trask, Florida, Sr., 6-5, 239, Manvel, Texas
- Brady White, Memphis, Sr., 6-3, 215, Santa Clarita, Calif.
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