Texas QB Quinn Ewers lauded Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award semifinalist

No. 3 Texas’ QB Quinn Ewers was named one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the Davey O’Brien Foundation announced Tuesday afternoon. It’s the second-straight year Ewers has been honored as a semifinalist for the award.

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Texas has had three players receive the Davey O’Brien Award, including a pair of quarterbacks. Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell was the first to do so in 1977 when the O’Brien Award recognized the top player in the southwest, while Vince Young (2005) and Colt McCoy (2009) make up the pair of Longhorn quarterbacks to win the award. McCoy was also a finalist for the O’Brien Award in 2008.

Another one@QuinnEwers is a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award 🤘 @daveyobrien pic.twitter.com/IiDQuwfcHX

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 12, 2024

The Southlake, Texas, product is a third-year player who has played in and started 29 games on the Forty Acres, leading UT to 22 wins. In seven starts in 2024, Ewers has completed 149-of-215 passes (69 percent) for 1,722 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 246 passing yards per game.

Earlier this week, Ewers was also revealed as a 2024 semifinalist for the 88th Maxwell Award Collegiate Player of the Year. In addition, Ewers was tabbed a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10 Finalist on Oct. 31 and was also named to the Davey O’Brien Award QB Class of 2024. On Monday, Ewers was named to the Davey O’Brien Great 8, the East-West Shrine Bowl Monday Morning Quarterback and Manning Award Stars of the Week lists following the Longhorns 49-17 win over Florida on Nov. 9.

Ewers has earned a plethora of weekly honors this season, including SEC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 9), Manning Award Star of the Week (Sept. 9), Reese’s Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 9), Davey O’Brien Great 8 (Sept. 9), Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week (Sept. 10) and Maxwell Award Player of the Week (Sept. 10).

Prior to the season, Ewers was named to preseason watch lists for the Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Maxwell Award, Manning Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award along with being named preseason second-team All-SEC by the media and league’s coaches.

The Southlake, Texas, native ignited the Longhorns to a 49-17 win vs. Florida on Nov. 9 to move UT to 8-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play. Ewers completed 19-of-27 (70.4 percent) passes for 333 yards and a career-high five touchdowns through 2.5 quarters of play. Ewers is the fourth SEC quarterback since 1996 with five touchdown passes of 20+ yards in a conference game, joining Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (Sept. 28, 2019), Georgia’s Joe Cox (Sept. 19, 2009) and Kentucky’s Jared Lorenzen (Nov. 10, 2001). Ewers extended his passing touchdown streak to 20-consecutive games in the victory – the longest active streak in the FBS which he shares with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Ewers is one of two quarterbacks in program history to throw a touchdown pass in 20+-consecutive games, trailing Colt McCoy’s program-record streak of 29-straight games. Ewers’ five touchdown passes against Florida tied for the third-most in single-game program history, one behind the program-record of six set by Colt McCoy (Baylor, 2006) and Casey Thompson (Kansas, 2021). Ewers has now been credited with multiple passing touchdowns in six of his seven starts this season with three-plus touchdowns in back-to-back games after darting three vs. Vanderbilt on Oct. 26. Ewers has passed for three or more touchdowns four times this season. Ewers’ four first-half passing touchdowns vs. the Gators marked the most he’s thrown since spiraling four in the first half of the 2023 Big 12 Championship game. With his 333 passing yards against the Gators, Ewers now has 7,378 career passing yards, passing Chris Simms (1999-02; 7,097) for sixth in the program’s career passing yard list. With five passing touchdowns on the day, Ewers has 56 career passing touchdowns, surpassing James Brown (1994-97) for fifth in UT history.

Ewers headlines a Texas offense that ranks ninth nationally in total offense (465.2 ypg) and team passing efficiency (166.25) and 10th in completion percentage (68.5 percent), scoring offense (38.9 ppg) and passing offense (301.1 ypg). Ewers also sits amongst the nation’s best in several individual statistical categories, including 11th in completion percentage (69.3 percent), 11th in points responsible for per game (17.4), 14th in passing efficiency and 19th in passing touchdowns (19).

The next step in the process will be to select the award’s three finalists. The finalists will again be chosen based on voting from the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee as well as bonus ballots awarded from the second 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 five vote getters 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. The second round will be open until Friday, Nov. 22 at 11:59 p.m. (CT). The three finalists will be revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Looking ahead, the winner will be announced live on Thursday, Dec. 12, on The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

The 47th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 19, 2025, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

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Ewers and No. 3/3/5 Texas travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 16, inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The game will air on ABC with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst) and Katie George (sideline) on the call.

(via Texas release)