Davey O’Brien Foundation Honors Eight in Week Two

Written By James Mueller

FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 11, 2023) — The Davey O’Brien Foundation has selected its Great 8 list highlighting the top FBS quarterback performances in week two. All eight players are being honored for the first time in 2023.

The quarterbacks on this week’s list are Rice’s JT Daniels, Quinn Ewers of Texas, Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman, Will Howard of Kansas State, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Tyler Van Dyke of Miami, USC’s Caleb Williams and Grant Wilson of Old Dominion. The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week, selected from the Great 8 list, will be announced Tuesday at 11 a.m. (CT).

Daniels, Van Dyke and Wilson are now officially added to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Midseason Watch List. With the three additions, that list now stands at 43 members. Ewers, Hartman, Howard, Nix and Williams were previously selected to the Preseason Watch List.

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 2

JT Daniels, Rice, Sr., 6-2, 237, Irvine, Calif.

  • Successful on 28 of 42 pass attempts for a career-high-tying 401 yards and three touchdowns in a 43-41 double-overtime win over crosstown rival Houston.

Quinn Ewers, Texas, So., 6-2, 195, Southlake, Texas

  • Led Texas to its first road win over a top-3 team since 1969, a 34-24 victory at No. 3 Alabama, by completing 24 of 38 passes for 349 yards and three scores.

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame, Sr., 6-1, 212, Charlotte, N.C.

  • Connected on 15 passes for 286 yards (19.1 yards per completion) and four touchdowns against no interceptions in a 45-24 victory at NC State.

Will Howard, Kansas State, Sr., 6-5, 242, Downington, Penn.

  • Accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) and 283 yards of offense (250 passing, 33 rushing) in a 42-13 win over Troy.

Bo Nix, Oregon, Sr., 6-2, 217, Pinson, Ala.

  • Totaled more than 400 yards of offense, going 32-for-44 (.727) for 359 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing nine times for 46 yards in a 38-30 triumph at Texas Tech.

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami, Jr., 6-4, 230, Glastonbury, Conn.

  • Guided Miami past No. 23 Texas A&M, 48-33, by throwing for 374 yards (21-for-30, .700) and a career-high five touchdowns.

Caleb Williams, USC, Jr. 6-1, 215, Washington, D.C.

  • Threw more TD passes (3) than incompletions (2), completing 19 of 21 throws for 281 yards, and rushed once for a 21-yard touchdown in a 56-10 win over Stanford. 

Grant Wilson, Old Dominion, Jr., 6-3, 217, Arlington, Va.

  • Completed 13 of 19 passes for 247 yards and four scores and added a rushing touchdown in a 38-31 victory over Louisiana.

James Mueller
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