FORT WORTH – The Davey O’Brien Foundation
unveiled the 2022 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List
today, a group that includes 35 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 career player performance and
expectations heading into the 2022 college football season. All nominees are
required to have previously started at least one game at an NCAA Division I
institution.

Headlining the group are 2021 Davey O’Brien National
Quarterback winner Bryce Young of Alabama and 2021 finalist C.J. Stroud of Ohio
State. In all, 12 of last year’s 16 semifinalists return. The group includes
Young and Stroud, as well as Brennan Armstrong of Virginia, Georgia’s Stetson
Bennett, Jake Haener of Fresno State, UTSA’s Frank Harris, Sam Hartman of Wake
Forest, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Grayson McCall of Coastal Carolina, SMU’s
Tanner Mordecai, Will Rogers of Mississippi State and USC’s Caleb Williams.

The remaining 2022 Preseason Watch List honorees are Gerry
Bohanon (USF), Logan Bonner (Utah State), Chase Brice (Appalachian State), Sean
Clifford (Penn State), Malik Cunningham (Louisville), Brett Gabbert (Miami
[OH]), Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma), Jaren Hall (BYU), KJ Jefferson (Arkansas),
Devin Leary (NC State), Will Levis (Kentucky), Tanner McKee (Stanford), Bo Nix
(Oregon), Aidan O’Connell (Purdue), Spencer Rattler (South Carolina), Chris
Reynolds (Charlotte), Cameron Rising (Utah), Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State),
Taulia Tagovailoa (Maryland), Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA), Payton Thorne
(Michigan State), Clayton Tune (Houston) and Tyler Van Dyke (Miami).

All 10 FBS conferences as well as a football independent are
represented on the list. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads the way with
seven preseason selections.

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 46th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards
Dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, at The Fort
Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

The official Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List will be
released on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and will contain all active quarterbacks from the
Preseason Watch List, all players honored as a weekly Great 8 recipient through
the season’s first seven weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the
selection subcommittee.

The Midseason Watch List will then be pared down to the
35-player Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2022 on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Fan voting on
social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) will again play a role in the
semifinalist, finalist and winner voting totals when combined with the national
selection committee’s ballots. Voting will begin on Oct. 25.

Sixteen semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be
named on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two
weeks later (Monday, Nov. 21). The 2022 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be
unveiled live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 8, during The Home Depot College
Football Awards.

 

2022 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason
Watch List

Brennan Armstrong, Virginia, Sr., 6-2, 212, Shelby, Ohio

Stetson Bennett, Georgia, Sr., 5-11, 190, Blackshear, Ga.

Gerry Bohanon, USF, Sr., 6-3, 221, Earle, Ark.

Logan Bonner, Utah State, Sr., 6-1, 230, Rowlett, Texas

Chase Brice, Appalachian State, Sr., 6-3, 235, Grayson, Ga.

Sean Clifford, Penn State, Sr., 6-2, 212, Cincinnati, Ohio

Malik Cunningham, Louisville, Sr., 6-1, 190, Montgomery,
Ala.

Brett Gabbert, Miami (OH), Jr., 6-0, 209, St. Louis, Mo.

Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma, Jr., 5-11, 204, Mililani, Hawaii

Jake Haener, Fresno State, Sr., 6-1, 210, Danville, Calif.

Jaren Hall, BYU, Jr., 6-1, 205, Spanish Fork, Utah

Frank Harris, UTSA, Sr., 6-0, 200, Schertz, Texas

Sam Hartman, Wake Forest, Jr., 6-1, 208, Charlotte, N.C.

Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, Sr., 6-4, 218, Greensboro, N.C.

KJ Jefferson, Arkansas, Jr., 6-3, 242, Sardis, Miss.

Devin Leary, NC State, Jr., 6-1, 215, Sicklerville, N.J.

Will Levis, Kentucky, Sr., 6-3, 232, Madison, Conn.

Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina, Jr., 6-3, 210, Indian
Trail, N.C.

Tanner McKee, Stanford, Jr., 6-6, 226, Corona, Calif.

Tanner Mordecai, SMU, Sr., 6-3, 218, Waco, Texas

Bo Nix, Oregon, Jr., 6-3, 214, Pinson, Ala.

Aidan O’Connell, Purdue, Sr., 6-3, 210, Long Grove, Ill.

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina, Jr., 6-1, 210, Phoenix,
Ariz.

Chris Reynolds, Charlotte, Sr., 5-11, 210, Mocksville, N.C.

Cameron Rising, Utah, Jr., 6-2, 220, Ventura, Calif.

Will Rogers, Mississippi State, Jr., 6-2, 210, Brandon,
Miss.

Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State, Sr., 6-1, 210, Denton,
Texas

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State, Jr., 6-3, 215, Inland Empire,
Calif.

Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland, Jr., 5-11, 200, Ewa Beach,
Hawaii

Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA, Sr., 6-1, 205, Las Vegas,
Nev.

Payton Thorne, Michigan State, Jr., 6-2, 210, Naperville,
Ill.

Clayton Tune, Houston, Sr., 6-3, 215, Carrollton, Texas

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami, So., 6-4, 224, Glastonbury, Conn.

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

Bryce Young, Alabama, Jr., 6-0, 194, Pasadena, Calif.

 

By Conference: SEC (7), ACC (5), Pac-12 (5), Big
Ten (5), American (3), Big 12 (2), C-USA (2), Mountain West (2), Sun Belt (2),
Mid-American (1), Independents (1).

 

About the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award

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 Davey O’Brien Award honors
candidates who exemplify Davey O’Brien’s enduring character while exhibiting
teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership in both academics and athletics.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the Davey O’Brien Foundation has awarded
more than $1.2 million in scholarships and university grants to help high
school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership
in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org.

Previous Davey O’Brien Award winners include: Jim McMahon
(BYU, 1981), Todd Blackledge (Penn State, 1982), Steve Young (BYU, 1983), Doug
Flutie (Boston College, 1984), Chuck Long (Iowa, 1985), Vinny Testaverde
(Miami, 1986), Don McPherson (Syracuse, 1987), Troy Aikman (UCLA, 1988), Andre
Ware (Houston, 1989), Ty Detmer (BYU, 1990-91), Gino Torretta (Miami, 1992),
Charlie Ward (Florida State, 1993), Kerry Collins (Penn State, 1994), Danny
Wuerffel (Florida, 1995-96), Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997), Michael Bishop
(Kansas State, 1998), Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech, 1999), Chris Weinke (Florida
State, 2000), Eric Crouch (Nebraska, 2001), Brad Banks (Iowa, 2002), Jason
White (Oklahoma, 2003-04), Vince Young (Texas, 2005), Troy Smith (Ohio State,
2006), Tim Tebow (Florida, 2007), Sam Bradford (Oklahoma, 2008), Colt McCoy
(Texas, 2009), Cam Newton (Auburn, 2010), Robert Griffin III (Baylor, 2011),
Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M, 2012), Jameis Winston (Florida State, 2013),
Marcus Mariota (Oregon, 2014), Deshaun Watson (Clemson, 2015-16), Baker
Mayfield (Oklahoma, 2017), Kyler Murray (Oklahoma, 2018), Joe Burrow (LSU,
2019), Mac Jones (Alabama, 2020) and Bryce Young (Alabama, 2021).

  

CHARLOTTE – It was an emotional week for the Charlotte 49ers. Twenty-one seniors were graduating, and bowl eligibility was on the line. The fact that former head coach Brad Lambert was on the opposing coaching staff for the night made it even more meaningful. A steady rain tempered the size of the crowd in the stands, but not the energy in the stadium. The Charlotte 49ers fed off this energy throughout the entire night on their way to a 24-13 win over the visiting Marshall Thundering Herd.



With both offenses sputtering and trading turnovers to start the game, it was the Marshall special teams who stepped up first to get points on the board. Charlotte was backed towards its own end zone on a fourth-down when Darius Hodge got a hand on the punt attempt. The ball was picked up by Joseph Early who ran sixteen yards to give Marshall a 7-0 lead.



Marshall added a field goal in the second quarter to take what seemed like a commanding ten-point advantage, but Charlotte’s offense finally sparked to life two drives later, going eighty-six yards on eight plays and culminating in a fifteen-yard Chris Reynolds rushing touchdown. Charlotte had a chance to tie the game at the half, but a last-second field goal went wide and the visitors took a 10-7 lead into the locker room.



Much as how the two teams mirrored each other to start the first half, both squads did the same to begin the second half. After Charlotte marched sixty-nine yards in a little over five minutes and eventually settled for a 23-yard Jonathan Cruz field goal, Marshall went sixty yards in almost six minutes before regaining the lead with a Justin Rohrwasser 31-yard field goal.



If the Forty-Niners were going to try and win to become bowl eligible for the first time, it was going to have to happen in the final fifteen minutes of the game. And the Charlotte offense made good on this opportunity, driving down the field with a series of Chris Reynolds and Benny LeMay runs. When Victor Tucker, who had attracted four defensive pass interference penalties on the day, ran around the left side for five yards and hit pay dirt, the home team had the lead for the first time on the day.



It was now time for the Charlotte defense to step up once again to seal the deal. Nafees Lyon’s interception with six minutes left in the game was the defensive play the 49ers needed and one highlight on a night for a defense that did not give up a touchdown. The Charlotte offense marched back on the field with a mission – kill the last six minutes on the clock, score, and put the game out of reach. An amazing grab by Victor Tucker in the end zone on a fourth down with less than a minute remaining was the final nail in the coffin and Charlotte fans stormed the field as the clock hit 0:00.








Notable North Carolinians

Chris Reynolds (Davie) – The sophomore quarterback ran for over 100 yards and a score while also throwing for a score.

Jeff Gemmell (Heritage) – The senior linebacker led the team with ten tackles, the third time in the last four games he has recorded double-digit tackles.

Darius Hodge (Wake Forest) – The sophomore defensive lineman’s blocked punt in the first quarter led to the only touchdown of the night for Marshall.



Noteworthy Notes

With a staggering defense, Charlotte held Marshall to only 230 yards of total offense, the second-fewest Marshall has amassed in a game this season. Only G5 powerhouse Boise State held the Herd to less.

Charlotte quarterback Chris Reynolds outrushed the Marshall offense by himself, 145 to 144.

Running back Benny LeMay went over 100 yards rushing for the sixth time this season and crossed the 3000 yard mark for his career.

Charlotte's "ClubLIT" was ecstatic when head coach Will Healy decided to celebrate "Lee Corso" style

Next Week

Charlotte (6-5) closes out the regular season on the road at Old Dominion (1-10) while Marshall (7-4) hosts FIU (6-5).

CHARLOTTE – In a series where the home teams has never won, scheduling Florida Atlantic for Homecoming may not have been the best decision for the Charlotte 49ers. In each of the previous four meetings, the road team won, including Charlotte ending Florida Atlantic’s bowl hopes in 2018, defeating the Owls in Boca Raton in the final week of the season. The trend held true, as the visiting Owls defeated the 49ers 45-21 in their Conference USA opener.

Photo Credit: Ed Conway

The game started out fast for Florida Atlantic as Deangelo Antoine’s 66-yard run on the first play from scrimmage set up on a three-yard scoring run by Larry McCammon to give the Owls an early 6-0 lead. Before the 49ers could even get an offensive first down, FAU added a Malcolm Davidson scoring run to make it 14-0. The 49ers responded this time, marching eighty yards down the field, and got on the scoreboard with Chris Reynold’s twenty-four-yard pass to Victor Tucker.



Charlotte tried to make it a game in the second quarter after holding FAU to a field goal and using a little trickeration to catch the Owls defense off guard. The reverse to Dollar and subsequent pass to Reynolds set up a one-yard pass from Reynolds to Jacob Hunt to make a three-point game. The Owls were having none of this, though, and responded with a nine-play, seventy-five-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown with only thirty seconds left in the half, making it a ten-point game going into the locker room.



The 49ers brought the game within three again in the third quarter, this time on a sixteen-yard pass from Reynolds to Aaron McAllister, but this was the last time the 49ers had any meaningful offense on the afternoon. The rest of the day belonged to the visitor who railed off twenty-one straight points en route to a 45-21 win.

Charlotte Head Coach Will Healy Photo Credit: Ed Conway

Charlotte head coach Will Healy did appreciate the fight in his team, though. “There was a point in time in that game where it’s 45-21 and your will is being tested. Do you continue to compete, or do you lay it down? I never think this team has ever laid it down, but they did do a good job of wearing us down. I don’t ever want to throw the ball 31 times. Benny LeMay is a guy who deserves more than 11 carries. In the second half, they wore us down, we weren’t able to create as many running lanes.”



There were a few bright spots for the 49ers, though, as it was the third game in a row where the 49ers defense had at least three sacks. Victor Tucker also broke the 100-yard mark as a receiver for the fourth time in his career.



Even with the loss, Coach Healy still has high expectations for his team and how they’ll respond. “I don’t expect any different from when adversity has hit them the last ten months. I have zero question that we’ll respond in a very high level. This is not the end of what we’re trying to do here. This is a roadblock. This is a bump in the road. We’re excited that we still have seven more opportunities.”



Up Next

Charlotte (2-3, 0-1) has a bye week before traveling to south Florida to take on Florida International while FAU (3-2, 1-0) is also on bye before hosting Middle Tennessee.



Notable North Carolinians

Alex Highsmith (Ashley) – the senior defensive lineman had another sack on the day, his sixth of the season, breaking Larry Ogunjobi’s program record in just five games.

Chris Reynolds (Davie) – the sophomore signal-caller threw for three scores, giving him ten on the season, matching what the 49ers offense did as a whole last season.