July 14, 2010

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Davey O’Brien Foundation announced the 2010 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award^® (The O’Brien) Watch List today.

This year’s list, which was compiled by a subset of The O’Brien National Selection Committee, features 30 of the nation’s top collegiate quarterbacks who were selected based on player performance during the previous year and expectations heading into the 2010 college football season.  

In addition to 2009 O’Brien Finalist Case Keenum (Sr., Houston), five 2009 semifinalists are included on the list: Matt Barkley (Jr., USC), Jacory Harris (Jr., Miami), Jake Locker (Sr., Washington), Kellen Moore (Jr., Boise State) and Ricky Stanzi (Sr., Iowa).

The 2010 O’Brien Watch List features 14 seniors, 11 juniors and five sophomores. The ACC and Big 12 lead all conferences with five candidates each on the list. The Pac-10 is represented by four players.   

Appearing on the Watch List is not a requirement for a player to be awarded The O’Brien. Quarterbacks from all 120 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools are eligible for the award until the field is narrowed to 16 semifinalists on Monday, Oct. 25. The Foundation and the Selection Committee will announce three finalists on Monday, Nov. 22. The 2010 winner will be announced on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 9.

The 34th Annual O’Brien Awards Dinner will be held Feb. 21, 2011 at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

2010 O’Brien Watch List
Matt Barkley                        USC                                 SO       Pac-10
Zach Collaros                       Cincinnati                         JR        Big East
Andy Dalton                         TCU                                 SR       MWC
Dwight Dasher                      Middle Tennessee             SR       Sun Belt
Ricky Dobbs                        Navy                                 SR       Independent
Nathan Enderle                     Idaho                                SR       WAC
Nick Foles                           Arizona                             JR        Pac-10
Blaine Gabbert                     Missouri                            JR        Big 12
Robert Griffin III                   Baylor                               JR        Big 12
Jacory Harris                        Miami                               JR        ACC
Jerrod Johnson                     Texas A&M                      SR        Big 12
Landry Jones                        Oklahoma                        SO       Big 12
Colin Kaepernick                  Nevada                             SR       WAC
Case Keenum                       Houston                           SR       C-USA
G.J. Kinne                            Tulsa                                JR        C-USA
Jake Locker                         Washington                       SR       Pac-10
Andrew Luck                       Stanford                             SO       Pac-10
Ryan Mallett                         Arkansas                          JR        SEC
Greg McElroy                       Alabama                           JR        SEC
Kellen Moore                        Boise State                       JR        WAC
Joshua Nesbitt                       Georgia Tech                    SR       ACC
Kyle Padron                         SMU                                SO       C-USA
Christian Ponder                   Florida State                     SR       ACC
Taylor Potts                          Texas Tech                       SR       Big 12
Terrelle Pryor                       Ohio State                         JR        Big Ten
Tom Savage                         Rutgers                             SO        Big East
Ricky Stanzi                         Iowa                                 SR       Big Ten
Tyrod Taylor                         Virginia Tech                     SR       ACC
Scott Tolzien                        Wisconsin                         SR       Big Ten
Russell Wilson                      NC State                          JR        ACC

About the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award^®
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award^® (The O’Brien) is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The O’Brien honors candidates who exemplify Davey O’Brien’s enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership in both academics and athletics. The O’Brien is overseen by the Davey O’Brien Foundation, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and has given away more than $800,000 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.

National College Football Awards Association
The O’Brien is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official Web site, www.NCFAA.org. 

American Airlines is the official travel partner of The O’Brien.

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