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The Davey O'Brien Award is awarded each year to the nation's best quarterback. The trophy has been awarded to some of the most memorable players in college football history with players like Cam Newton, Tebow and Vince Young receiving the honor in their respective seasons. Going further back, legendary names like Peyton Manning, Danny Wuerffel, Andre Ware, Troy Aikman, Doug Flutie and Steve Young pepper the list of previous winners. Ahead of the Aug. 8 release of the annual watch list, let's rank the previous 10 O'Brien award winners.
No. 10: Max Duggan, TCU
Duggan was a fun player to watch. He was grit incarnate. Just tough as nails and full of effort. In 2022, Duggan started the season as the backup having lost a preseason quarterback competition to Chandler Morris. Morris went down with an injury in the season opener, and Duggan proceeded to lead the Horned Frogs to a 13-2 season, and a berth in the College Football Playoffs.
TCU upset Michigan in the first round, and lost to Georgia in the title game. Duggan's stats were impressive. He passed for 3,698 yards with 32 touchdowns to only 8 interceptions. He added 423 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground. But the numbers don't tell the story of how much heart the kid played with that season. Duggan is the first TCU quarterback to win the Davey O'Brien Award. The award's namesake, O'Brien, also played at TCU.
No. 9 Bryce Young, Alabama
Young falling to No. 9 might seem absurd to some people. I mean, he was an absolute stat machine in 2021. He passed for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns to 7 interceptions, and took home the O'Brien, Maxwell and Heisman Trophy awards. But his ranking only speaks to the rest of the names on this list.
Young was a highly touted recruit when he joined the Crimson Tide, but he didn't make his first start until his sophomore year in 2021. He did not disappoint Tide fans in his debut as he torched the 14th-ranked Miami Hurricanes in the season opener to the tune of 344 yards and 4 scores through the air. Young led Alabama to a 13-2 record and an appearance in the CFP National Championship. Alabama would fall in the rematch with Southeastern Conference Championship foe, Georgia. The brightest spot for Young came in the Iron Bowl when he led a 99-yard drive in Jordan-Hare Stadium to force overtime against Auburn. Bama would go on to win the game in the fourth overtime. Cucumbers wish they could be as cool as Young was on that 99-yard drive and overtime.
No. 8: Jameis Winston, Florida State
Long before Winston was the NFL's most entertaining backup quarterback, he was entertaining Florida State fans as a redshirt freshman. Winston burst onto the scene in 2013, and executed Jimbo Fisher's offense to perfection.
Winston threw for 4,057 yards and 40 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He became the second freshman, and youngest player of all time to win the Heisman. He led Florida State to a national championship win over Auburn, and won MVP of the game after he passed for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns. Winston was indomitable during the 2013 season, especially on FSU's final drive of the game in the title game. Winston and Florida State got the ball back with just over a minute left in the game, and marched 80 yards for the go-ahead score. There probably wasn't a person in America that doubted what Winston would do in that situation—and he delivered.
No. 7: Mac Jones, Alabama
Mac (short for McCorkle) Jones led Alabama to an 11-0 record in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 regular season. A regular season in which the SEC only played conference opponents. It was a season that just meant more.
Jones threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions and completed a whopping 77.4 percent of his passes. Alabama dominated all season long as offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian put on a play calling clinic, and Jones and the offense hung huge numbers on their opponents on their way to a national championship victory over Ohio State. Bama finished the season 13-0.
Jones may be the most unassuming QB on this list after having sat for three years behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tugovailoa. But he proved his merit in perhaps the strangest and most stressful college football season of all time.
No. 6: Jayden Daniels, LSU
Daniels had one of the most dynamic seasons by a quarterback of all time while remaining extremely efficient. In 2023, Daniels was tasked with keeping a defensive deficient LSU team's head above water, and he responded with 3,812 pass yards and 40 touchdowns. He completed 72.2 percent of his passes, and only threw 4 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 more touchdowns. He only fumbled once.
Daniels was must watch TV. He set himself firmly in the driver seat of the Heisman race after a Week 10 win over Florida. Daniels set an SEC record after amassing 606 total yards. He also became the first player in history to pass for 350 yards and run for 200 yards in the same game. Whether he was dropping dimes all over the field to receivers Malik Nabors and Brian Thomas Jr. or streaking down the sideline, Daniels was lightening in a bottle.
Stay tuned to College Football Dawgs for the top 5 Davey O'Brien Award winners of the past decade.
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