Gabriel, Sanders and Ward Named Davey O’Brien Award Finalists

FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 26, 2024) – After tabulating the results of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee’s ballots and adding bonus ballots applied through the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote, the three finalists for the National Quarterback Award have been named. This year’s finalists are Oregon senior Dillon Gabriel, Colorado senior Shedeur Sanders and Miami senior Cam Ward.

All three players are first-time finalists for the nation’s oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award. Combined, the three players have been named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s weekly Great 8 a total of 12 times this year and each was tabbed the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week once.

On the year, Gabriel, a native of Mililani, Hawaii, is 259-for-351 (.738) for 3,066 yards with 22 touchdowns against six interceptions. He has added 155 rushing yards and six touchdowns for the No. 1-ranked Ducks, the nation’s only unbeaten team at 11-0.

Nationally, Gabriel ranks among the NCAA’s top 10 in completion percentage (2nd, .738), total quarterback rating (5th, 84.1), passing efficiency (9th, 164.4), passing yards (10th, 3,066) and total offense (10th, 292.8). He is looking to join Marcus Mariota (2014) as Oregon players to win the Davey O’Brien Award.

Sanders, a product of Dallas, Texas, has completed 303 of 413 passes (.734) for 3,488 yards and 30 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 2024. He also has added four rushing scores while helping the Buffaloes to an 8-3 record and a current ranking of 23rd in the Associated Press Poll.

Sanders is second in the nation in passing touchdowns (34) and completions per game (27.6), third in completion percentage (.734), fourth in points responsible for (204) and fifth in passing yards (3,488). Sanders would be the first-ever winner from Colorado.

A native of West Columbia, Texas, Ward has connected on 268 of 399 pass attempts for 3,774 yards and 34 touchdowns versus seven interceptions. He also has 177 rushing yards with four touchdowns while steering the eighth-ranked Hurricanes to a 10-1 mark.

Ward leads the NCAA in passing touchdowns (34) and quarterback rating (87.2), while placing second in passing yards (3,774), points responsible for (242) and total offense (359.2), and fourth in passing efficiency (171.2). Ward is bidding to become the third Miami quarterback winner ever, following Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992).

The 2024 Davey O’Brien winner will again be chosen based on voting from the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee as well as bonus ballots awarded from the third and final round of the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote.

For the fifth straight year, the Fan Vote takes place on the award’s three social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X)—and the top vote getter on each platform will receive bonus committee member ballots, which will be added to the votes cast by the National Selection Committee.

To participate in the Fan Vote, fans must like the original Davey O’Brien Award post highlighting their quarterback and follow (@daveyobrien). The winner will be announced live on Thursday, Dec. 12, on The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

The Davey O’Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National 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 was 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. 

The 48th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

2024 Davey O’Brien Award Finalists

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, Sr., 6-0, 200, Mililani, Hawaii

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, Sr., 6-2, 215, Dallas, Texas

Cam Ward, Miami, Sr., 6-2, 223, West Columbia, Texas