Award watch list season continues here on Tuesday as it is time for the Davey O’Brien Award to single out the 35 college quarterbacks on its radar for the annual award that goes to the nation’s top quarterback.
It should come as little surprise that Ohio State’s CJ Stroud makes the cut, one of five signal callers from the Big Ten to make this initial list. The SEC leads all conferences with seven quarterbacks on the list while the B1G is tied with the ACC and Pac-12.
Stroud was a finalist for the award in 2021 but ultimately lost to Bryce Young of Alabama, who would also go on to win the 2021 Heisman Trophy. Both quarterbacks will figure in prominently in many of the major awards for the upcoming 2022 season.
Ohio State has only had one winner of the award, Troy Smith took home the hardware during his 2006 Heisman Trophy season. This award has been focused on quarterbacks since the 1981 season after a short four-year run of just being a regional MVP for players out of the Southwest.
That all changed in 1981 when it became a QB only award and BYU’s Jim McMahon took home the inaugural QB award.
Stroud was named to the Maxwell Award watch list on Monday, given to college football’s most valuable player. He was joined on that list by wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back TreVeyon Henderson.
The Ohio State quarterback threw for more than 4,400 yards last season, good for No. 2 all time on the Ohio State single-season passing list, only behind the late Dwayne Haskins.
It seems like a long time ago when people were wondering if Stroud or Kyle McCord should be the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes in the 2021 season and while there were a few rocky moments along the way, Stroud has settled in nicely into the position and now is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.
Ohio State’s 2022 campaign with CJ Stroud gets underway in a little bit more than a month with Ohio State set to host Notre Dame for a September 3rd clash at Ohio Stadium at 7:30pm (EDT).