A.J. Hester
- Aug 3
- 5 min read

Ranking the Davey O'Brien Award Winners of the Decade, Pt. 2

We're continuing our rankings of the past Davey O'Brien Award winners from the past decade, ahead of the Aug. 8 watch list reveal.

No. 5: Kyler Murray, Oklahoma

Kyler Murray is one of the most electrifying quarterbacks to ever play the game. He is possibly my favorite player on this list. There was a Michael Vick level of anticipation when Murray took that initial step to scramble.

Murray was explosive and borderline untouchable during his time with Oklahoma. In 2018, Murray passed for 4,361 yards, 47 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He rushed for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading Oklahoma to a 12-2 record. In that season, the Sooners also had their second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.

Oklahoma went 1-1 with the archrival Texas Longhorns in 2018, losing in the Red River Rivalry but winning in the Big 12 Championship game. It was Murray's performance in the loss that brings up memories. Oklahoma was down 45-24 until Murray led the Sooners to 21 fourth-quarter points. That included his own 67-yard touchdown run with a little over 5 minutes left in the game. Texas kicker Cameron Dicker kicked a 40-yard field goal with 9 seconds left to put Texas up for good in the Red River Rivalry game. But it was Murray's play in the fourth quarter, and specifically that sprint down the sideline, that kicks up memories.

No. 4: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

College football scriptwriters outdid themselves with the story of Baker Mayfield. A two-time walk-on who became a Heisman Trophy winner? The only way to craft a better story would be if Mayfield was drafted first in the NFL Draft.

Mayfield played with a level of guts and moxie. He also displayed an improvisational gunslinger's mentality comparable to Brett Favre. Those Favre-esque traits were on display during Mayfield's career. He led the Sooners to 3 straight 11-2 seasons. Mayfield passed for more than 3,600 yards and 35 touchdowns in those seasons. But Mayfield really made his mark with a 2017 season when he passed for 4,627 yards with 43 touchdowns. He led Oklahoma to a Big 12 Championship and a CFP appearance. Mayfield also swept award season, winning the Heisman Trophy with 86 percent of the votes, the third-highest percentage in Heisman history.

No. 3: Marcus Mariota, Oregon

Marcus Mariota was the face of college football during his time as an Oregon Duck. Whether dissecting secondaries or eluding defenders for a long touchdown run, Mariota would show up on SportsCenter and see him do something cool.

In 2014, Mariota passed for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions. He rushed for 770 yards and 15 touchdowns on his way to winning the Davey O'Brien and Maxwell awards. Mariota also became the first Oregon player and Hawaiian-born player to win the Heisman Trophy. Mariota led Oregon to a 12-1 regular season and a win over Florida State in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

The Ducks eventually lost to Ohio State in the national championship. Entering that game, Mariota was on pace to finish with the all-time lowest interception record. That would be a testament to Mariota's efficiency. But that record was spoiled as Mariota threw an interception on his last attempt in that game. Mariota finished his career with Pac-12 Conference records for total touchdowns and single-season touchdowns. He also holds nearly all of Oregon's passing records, cementing himself as an all-time Duck, if not an all-time player in the nation.

No. 2: Deshaun Watson, Clemson

Deshaun Watson was the first two-time Davey O'Brien Award winner since Jason White in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

In the 2015 season, Watson passed for 4,109 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,105 yards and 12 touchdowns. Watson was the first player to ever pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. He led Clemson to a 12-0 regular-season record and an ACC Championship.

The Tigers eventually fell short to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the national championship. Watson still passed for 405 yards and rushed for 73 yards in that game, setting a record for total yards by a player in the national championship.

Watson followed up his sophomore season with an equally-impressive 2016. He passed for 4,593 yards and 41 touchdowns, rushing for 629 yards and 9 touchdowns. Clemson was 11-1 heading into its second consecutive CFP berth. After beating Ohio State 31-0, Watson and Clemson once again faced off against Alabama and the nation's top defense for the national title. Watson threw for 420 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game.

But the final score came on a memorable play in Watson's career. It probably is the most polarizing play in the brief CFP history. With 6 seconds left in the game and Clemson down 28-31, Watson rolled to his right and found receiver Hunter Renfrow wide open in the end zone. Renfrow was freed by the "rub" route set by an outside receiver. Clemson won 35-31, toppling head coach Nick Saban and the mighty Crimson Tide. Watson cemented himself as an all-time great with that performance. Whether you favor the "rub route" or "pick play," you can't deny Watson's place in history.

Davey O'Brien Award Winner No. 1: Joe Burrow, LSU

Of all the notable "Joe Cools" in football and popular culture, the list runs between Joe Montana, Snoopy, Joe Namath and Joe Burrow. But Burrow's 2019 season may impact that ranking.

How can you put Burrow above a two-time winner? Burrow throws for 60 touchdowns in a season. He pulled the trigger for one of college football's most dominant offenses. His 2019 was nothing short of astonishing. Many have praised it as the best performance by a quarterback of all time. Burrow's list of accomplishments is large. LSU beat 4 Top 10 teams en route to an undefeated season, outscoring their opponents 726-328.

Burrow led the nation in touchdowns (65 total), yards (5,671), completion percentage (76.3) and passer rating (202.0). He broke the school record for passing touchdowns in a season (28) in 7 games, and the school record for passing yards in a season in 10 games. Burrow broke the SEC single-season passing yards record in 12 games. He also broke the conference record for single-season passing touchdowns in the next week. His 60 touchdowns broke Colt Brennan's national single-season passing touchdowns record. He also won nearly every award possible. Burrow won the Heisman Trophy by the largest margin of victory in its history. LSU blasted Oklahoma in the CFP semifinal 63-28. Burrow threw for 493 yards and 7 touchdowns in the first half. He also rushed for a touchdown. Burrow had 8 total touchdowns in only 35 minutes of play. Burrow threw for another 6 scores as LSU dominated Clemson in the national championship.

Watching Burrow in 2019 was a treat. He played like he had ice water in his veins. In saying that, maybe he is the coolest of Joe Cools. Sorry, Snoopy, you've been bumped.