Davey O’Brien Award Announces First Great 8 of 2024
FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 3, 2024) — The Davey O’Brien Foundation has officially announced its list of Great 8 quarterbacks for the first week of the 2024 college football season.
The quarterbacks on this week’s list are Penn State’s Drew Allar, Thomas Castellanos of Boston College, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, Jalen Milroe of Alabama, North Texas’ Chandler Morris, Miller Moss of USC, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and Cam Ward of Miami.
Castellanos, Morris, Moss and Pavia are now officially added to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Midseason Watch List. With the additions, that list now stands at 40 members. The other four players recognized in week one had previously been named to the preseason watch list.
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week, selected from the Great 8 list, will be announced Tuesday at 11 a.m. (CT).
The Davey O’Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981. Over its time, the Davey O’Brien Foundation has given away more than $1.3 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.
In 1938, O’Brien, who wore No. 8 as a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
—www.DaveyOBrienAward.com—
Davey O’Brien Great 8 - Week 1
Drew Allar, Penn State, Jr., 6-5, 235, Medina, Ohio
Was 11-for-16 passing for 216 yards (19.6 per completion) and three touchdowns with no interceptions, and added 44 rushing yards on six carries in a 34-12 win at West Virginia.
Thomas Castellanos, Boston College, Jr., 5-9, 196, Waycross, Ga.
Steered Boston College to a 28-13 upset win at No. 10 Florida State, finishing 10 of 16 passing for 106 yards and two touchdowns and rushing 14 times for 73 yards and a score.
Kyle McCord, Syracuse, Sr., 6-3, 220, Mt. Laurel, N.J.
Connected on 27 of 39 pass attempts (69.2 percent) for 354 yards and four touchdowns in his Orange debut, a 38-22 victory over Ohio.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama, Jr., 6-2, 225, Katy, Texas
Accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) while going 7-for-9 for 200 yards and rushing 10 times for 79 yards in a 63-0 win over Western Kentucky.
Chandler Morris, North Texas, Jr., 6-0, 191, Highland Park, Texas
Completed 32 of 41 passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns and carried five times for 17 times and two more TDs in a 52-38 win at South Alabama.
Miller Moss, USC, Jr., 6-2, 205, Los Angeles, Calif.
Led the Trojans to a 27-20 comeback victory over No. 13 LSU by completing 27 of 36 attempts (.750) for a career-high 378 yards and one touchdown.
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, Sr., 6-0, 207, Albuquerque, N.M.
Rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and passed for 190 yards (12-for-16) and two touchdowns in a 34-27 triumph over Virginia Tech.
Cam Ward, Miami, Sr., 6-2, 223, West Columbia, Texas
Directed Miami to a 41-17 win at in-state rival Florida by throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns (26-for-35) and carrying three times for 33 yards.