Davey O'Brien Award Watch List 2015: Full List and Bleacher Report Favorites
The preseason award watch list rolls on with one of the more well-known trophies: The Davey O'Brien Award, given annually to the top quarterback in college football.
In the past, the O'Brien Award has had a Heisman flavor to it. In fact, the last five winners, from Cam Newton to Marcus Mariota, won the Heisman the same year they won the O'Brien. Some of the other quarterbacks to accomplish the same include Tim Tebow (2007) and Troy Smith (2006).
Could history repeat itself this year? There are 24 players on this year's watch list, a few of which, like TCU's Trevone Boykin and USC's Cody Kessler, have been mentioned among the preseason Heisman hopefuls. Boykin and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott were O'Brien finalists last season and are included on this year's watch list. Michigan State's Connor Cook, an O'Brien semifinalist last year, is also on the watch list.
Being named to the O'Brien watch list is not a prerequisite to winning the award, so don't be too upset if your favorite player isn't mentioned. Sixteen semifinalists will be named on Nov. 2 and three finalists will be selected on Nov. 24. The winner will be named during ESPN's College Football Awards show on Dec. 10.
Who are some early favorites to win? We highlight them in the following slides based on past production, accolades and projections for this season.
The Full List
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Before listing off some early favorites, here's the full watch list:
Trevone Boykin, TCU (Senior)
Connor Cook, Michigan State (Senior)
Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee (Junior)
Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky (Senior)
Blake Frohnapfel, UMass (Senior)
Jared Goff, Cal (Junior)
Christian Hackenberg, Penn State (Junior)
Taysom Hill, BYU (Senior)
Kevin Hogan, Stanford (Senior)
Jeremy Johnson, Auburn (Sophomore)
Cardale Jones, Ohio State (Junior)*
Brad Kaaya, Miami (Sophomore)
Chuckie Keeton, Utah State (Senior)
Cody Kessler, USC (Senior)
Gunner Kiel, Cincinnati (Junior)
Fredi Knighten, Arkansas State (Junior)
Paxton Lynch, Memphis (Sophomore)
Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Senior)
Keenan Reynolds, Navy (Senior)
Anu Solomon, Arizona (Sophomore)
Zach Terrell, Western Michigan (Junior)
Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech (Junior)
Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Sophomore)
Marquise Williams, North Carolina (Senior)
(*Note: The O'Brien watch list chose Jones because he finished the 2014-15 season as the starter. However, Ohio State's quarterback competition is ongoing and either J.T. Barrett or Braxton Miller could easily make the semifinalist list if they win the starting job.)
Trevone Boykin
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Trevone Boykin was nowhere to be found on last year's O'Brien watch list, and understandably so. Boykin had bounced back and forth between quarterback and wide receiver, and his future as a quarterback appeared in doubt.
Then 2014 happened. Under new quarterbacks coach Sonny Cumbie and in a new, high-powered offense, Boykin showed growth that few other players in college football could match. He finished fourth nationally in yards per game (354.5) and was an O'Brien finalist.
It makes sense, then, that Boykin would not only be included on this year's watch list but be an early favorite. He's finally a household name and could be on his way to another huge year. The O'Brien award has favored quarterbacks on excellent teams. If TCU lives up to its lofty expectations—playoff or not—Boykin could carry that momentum all the way into December.
Connor Cook
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As mentioned before, Connor Cook was an O'Brien semifinalist last year. What would it take for Cook to become a finalist, or even a winner, in 2015?
Cook was the leading passer in the Big Ten with 3,214 yards by the end of the '14 season. He also had 24 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Ideally Cook would improve on those numbers, but his reps are what they are (Michigan State had a 3-to-2 run-pass ratio last year). Unless Cook takes over in the running game—while he's more athletic than he's given credit for, scrambling and/or the option game isn't his M.O.—those passing numbers have to go up.
Still, Cook is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the country for next year's draft, according to B/R's Matt Miller. He has a great arm but needs to work on some consistency in his game.
However, he's a well-known name and will have some big opportunities, namely against Oregon and Ohio State, to give his O'Brien stock a boost.
Joshua Dobbs
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Not unlike Tennessee itself, Joshua Dobbs is one of those trendy offseason picks to achieve great things in 2015. The junior started the final five games of last season, leading the Vols to a 4-1 record and accounting for nearly 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Like Boykin, Dobbs' dual-threat capabilities gives him a high ceiling and a good edge in the competition. Seven of the last 10 O'Brien winners were of the "dual-threat" mold, or something fairly similar.
There are some huge games that can take Dobbs from a trendy and somewhat unproven pick to a legitimate candidate: vs. Oklahoma (Sept. 12), Georgia (Oct. 10) and at Alabama (Oct. 24). If Dobbs can navigate through a challenging October slate, he could have a lot of momentum heading into November and the final stretch of the season.
The SEC isn't exactly entering '15 with a star lineup at quarterback. Between Dobbs and Dak Prescott, though, the conference could still be represented with an O'Brien winner.
Cardale Jones
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Again, to be clear, Cardale Jones is sort of a placeholder as far as his presence as an O'Brien watch list member and possible favorite. It's not that Jones isn't great—everyone saw what he did during his postseason national championship run—but it's also not guaranteed he'll start for the Buckeyes this season.
So while this slide title says Jones, it really means whichever quarterback—Jones, Barrett or Miller—gets the start.
Ohio State is absolutely stacked this year and is an early favorite to repeat as national champs. Certainly the Buckeyes aren't in this position in spite of the quarterback position. As we've already seen, any one of these quarterbacks can step in and not only win games but play lights-out.
Cody Kessler
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Cody Kessler returns as one of the most efficient quarterbacks from a year ago. In 2014 he threw for more than 3,800 yards and 39 touchdowns—throwing just five interceptions in 452 attempts.
It's one thing to have a low interception rate when you don't pass the ball a lot, but Kessler ranked 17th in the nation in pass attempts. He was slinging the football, without a doubt.
Now that Marcus Mariota, last year's O'Brien winner, is gone, the spotlight in the Pac-12 will firmly be on Kessler. With expectations high heading into the season, Kessler will have the chance to show he's ready for all the attention. Games against Stanford, Arizona State, Notre Dame, Oregon and UCLA will provide big moments for Kessler to prove he really is among the elite quarterbacks in college football.
Dak Prescott
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Dak Prescott is the best returning quarterback in the SEC and it's not even a question. After accounting for more than 4,400 yards and 41 touchdowns last year, it was a no-brainer that he was named an O'Brien finalist.
That kind of background is a big reason why Prescott is a favorite for the O'Brien award this year. He's earned that much. But, like most storylines involving Mississippi State this year, Prescott's postseason award chances may fall on the Bulldogs' win-loss record.
It's no secret expectations are tempered for Mississippi State. At SEC media days, the Bulldogs were generally picked to finish at or near the bottom of the West Division. Of course, that doesn't mean Mississippi State will have a losing record (all SEC West teams went bowling last year).
“I think y’all had us finishing seventh last year,” Prescott told the media, via Sports Illustrated's Zac Ellis, “and you see what we did there.”
However, sometimes the difference between six wins and nine wins can be the difference in whether a player wins an award, fair or unfair. Prescott's best chance at the O'Brien award revolves around his ability to put the team on his back Greg Jennings-style and surpass expectations.
Deshaun Watson
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We have bad news for defensive coordinators on Clemson's 2015 schedule: Quarterback Deshawn Watson is a go. We repeat: Deshaun Watson is a go.
According to Tony Crumpton of TigerNet.com, head coach Dabo Swinney said Watson is fully recovered from his season-ending ACL injury. This backs up what B/R colleague Michael Felder saw at the Elite 11 camp earlier this month.
Watson, when healthy, is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the ACC, if not in all of college football. With the core of his receiving unit returning, Watson could put up video game-like numbers throughout the season. And if the Tigers defense becomes a concern, Watson may end up having to win some shootouts.
Without a doubt, the Tigers will be an exciting team this year. Whether they're playoff-bound matters little. A lot of people know what Watson can do. If he stays healthy throughout the year, he should show why he's one of the rising stars at quarterback.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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