Three Dozen Quarterbacks Named to Davey O’Brien Award Preseason Watch List
FORT WORTH, Texas (Aug. 8, 2024) — The Davey O’Brien Foundation unveiled the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List today, a group that includes three dozen of the nation’s top returning college quarterbacks.
Compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee, this year’s list was selected based on previous Division I career player performance as well as expectations heading into the 2024 college football season.
The preseason list features 22 seniors, 12 juniors and two sophomores. The list includes eight members from both the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big 12 Conference. Other leagues with multiple honorees include the Southeastern Conference (6), Big Ten (4), American (3), Conference USA (2) and Sun Belt (2).
Eleven of the players were semifinalists for the award in 2023: Carson Beck (Georgia), Brady Cook (Missouri), Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Quinn Ewers (Texas), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), Jordan McCloud (Texas State), Kyle McCord (Syracuse), Jalen Milroe (Alabama), Kaidon Salter (Liberty), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and DJ Uiagalelei (Florida State).
The official Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and will contain active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, players honored as weekly Great 8 recipients through the season’s first eight weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee.
The Midseason Watch List will be cut down to the 35-player Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024 on Tuesday, Oct. 29. For the fourth straight year, fan voting on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) will earn players bonus selection committee votes during the semifinalist, finalist and winner voting rounds. First-round fan voting will begin Oct. 29 following the QB Class announcement.
The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later (Tuesday, Nov. 26). The 2024 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 12, during The Home Depot College Football Awards.
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. 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 Preseason Watch List
Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State, Sr., 6-3, 220, Antioch, Calif.
Drew Allar, Penn State, Jr., 6-5, 238, Medina, Ohio
Rocco Becht, Iowa State, So., 6-1, 205, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Carson Beck, Georgia, Sr., 6-4, 220, Jacksonville, Fla.
Byrum Brown, South Florida, Jr., 6-3, 209, Raleigh, N.C.
Brady Cook, Missouri, Sr., 6-2, 215, St. Louis, Mo.
Jalon Daniels, Kansas, Jr., 6-0, 220, Lawndale, Calif.
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, Sr., 6-2, 225, Kaysville, Utah
Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech, Jr., 6-2, 234, Pearland, Texas
Quinn Ewers, Texas, Jr., 6-2, 210, Southlake, Texas
Noah Fifita, Arizona, So., 5-10, 188, Huntington Beach, Calif.
TJ Finley, Western Kentucky, Jr., 6-7, 238, Ponchatoula, La.
Dequan Finn, Baylor, Sr., 6-2, 206, Detroit, Mich.
Brett Gabbert, Miami (OH), Sr., 6-0, 210, St. Louis, Mo.
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, Sr., 5-11, 204, Mililani, Hawai'i
Garrett Greene, West Virginia, Sr., 5-11, 201, Tallahassee, Fla.
Seth Henigan, Memphis, Sr., 6-3, 215, Denton, Texas
Will Howard, Ohio State, Sr., 6-4, 237, Downingtown, Pa.
KJ Jefferson, UCF, Sr., 6-3, 247, Sardis, Miss.
Mikey Keene, Fresno State, Jr., 5-11, 200, Chandler, Ariz.
Haynes King, Georgia Tech, Jr., 6-3, 215, Longview, Texas
Cade Klubnik, Clemson, Jr., 6-2, 205, Austin, Texas
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame, Sr., 6-4, 216, Fairhope, Ala.
Grayson McCall, NC State, Sr., 6-3, 220, Indian Trail, N.C.
Jordan McCloud, Texas State, Sr., 6-0, 200, Tampa, Fla.
Kyle McCord, Syracuse, Sr., 6-3, 220, Mt. Laurel, N.J.
Graham Mertz, Florida, Sr., 6-2, 216, Overland Park, Kan.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama, Jr., 6-2, 220, Katy, Texas
Cameron Rising, Utah, Sr., 6-2, 220, Ventura, Calif.
Will Rogers, Washington, Sr., 6-2, 216, Brandon, Miss.
Kaidon Salter, Liberty, Jr., 6-1, 200, Cedar Hill, Texas
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, Sr., 6-2, 215, Dallas, Texas
Preston Stone, SMU, Jr., 6-1, 214, Dallas, Texas
DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State, Sr., 6-4, 252, Inland Empire, Calif.
Cameron Ward, Miami, Sr., 6-3, 223, West Columbia, Texas
Jacob Zeno, UAB, Sr., 6-4, 210, San Antonio, Texas
About the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA)
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit the NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a 15-day period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Below is the remaining 2024 preseason watch list calendar:
Fri., Aug. 9: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 12: Bednarik Award
Tue., Aug. 13: Butkus Award