Great 8 Features “Davey Double” in Week 3

FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 16, 2024) — After an extraordinary number of notable quarterback performances across the country, the Davey O’Brien Foundation’s Great 8 committee has elected to use its “Davey Double” option in Week 3, thereby increasing the number of Great 8 honorees this week from eight to 16.

The group of “Davey Double” Great 8 quarterbacks includes: Oklahoma State’s Alan Bowman, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Tucker Gleason of Toledo, Pitt’s Eli Holstein, KJ Jefferson of UCF, Kansas State’s Avery Johnson, Riley Leonard of Notre Dame, Texas’ Arch Manning, John Mateer of Washington State, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Behren Morton of Texas Tech, Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, Georgia State’s Christian Veilleux and Caden Veltkamp of Western Kentucky.

Bowman, Gleason, Holstein, Johnson, Manning, Morton, Rourke, Veilleux and Veltkamp are now officially added to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Midseason Watch List. With the nine additions, that list now stands at 52 members. The other players honored in week three were either named to the Preseason Watch List or had achieved Great 8 recognition earlier this season.

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—

Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State

·      Completed 24 of 31 passes (.774) for 396 yards and a career-high-tying five touchdowns in a 45-10 victory at Tulsa.

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

·      Had more than 400 yards of total offense (377 passing, 35 rushing) and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in a 40-6 victory at Wake Forest.

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

·      Steered Oregon to a 49-14 win over instate rival Oregon State by going 20-for-24 for 291 yards and two touchdowns and rushing four times for 64 yards and a score.

Tucker Gleason, Toledo

·      Led the Rockets to a 41-17 victory at Mississippi State by completing 23 of 28 attempts for 285 yards and three touchdowns and gaining 40 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Eli Holstein, Pitt

·      Was 21-for-30 passing for 301 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 14 times for 59 yards in a 38-34 victory over rival West Virginia.

KJ Jefferson, UCF

·      Led UCF back from a 21-point second-half deficit at TCU (35-34), finishing 13 of 22 for 230 yards and three scores while rushing nine times for 46 yards.

Avery Johnson, Kansas State

·      Helped K-State secure a 31-7 win over No. 20 Arizona by throwing for 156 yards and two touchdowns and carrying 17 times for a career-high 110 yards.

Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

·      Carried 11 times for 100 yards and three touchdowns and was 11-for-16 through the air for 112 yds, all in just one half, in a 66-7 triumph at Purdue.

Arch Manning, Texas

·      Came off the bench to throw more TD passes (4) than incompletions (9-for-12, 223 yards) and added 53 yards and a score on three carries in a 56-7 win over UTSA.

John Mateer, Washington State

·      Was part of all three Cougar touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) and had 307 yards of offense (245 passing, 62 rushing) in the 24-19 Apple Cup win over Washington.

Jalen Milroe, Alabama

·      Totaled five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing), going 12-for-17 for 196 yards while rushing 14 times for 75 yards in a 42-10 road win at Wisconsin.

Behren Morton, Texas Tech

·      Was 15-for-19 passing for 273 yards and four touchdowns and tacked on a rushing score in a 66-21 victory over North Texas.

Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

·      Completed 25 of 33 passes (.758) for 307 yards and four touchdowns against no interceptions in a 42-13 win at UCLA.

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

·      Was 36-for-49 through the air for 310 yards and four touchdowns (no interceptions) as Colorado defeated instate rival Colorado State, 28-9, on the road.

Christian Veilleux, Georgia State

·      Connected on 26 of 41 passes for 269 yards and three scores and added a rushing touchdown as Georgia State defeated Vanderbilt, 36-32.

Caden Veltkamp, Western Kentucky

·      Had six total touchdowns (five passing, one rushing) and just three incompletions (27-for-30, 398 yards) in a 49-21 win at Middle Tennessee.