CHARLOTTE, NC (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference led the way with eight quarterbacks on the preseason watch list for the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the Davey O’Brien Foundation announced Thursday, Aug. 8.
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is given annually to the nation’s top college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award.
The preseason list features 36 of the best college quarterbacks in the country, including eight quarterbacks from the ACC, which is the most of any conference. The ACC is represented on the prestigious awards list by Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones, Georgia Tech’s Haynes King, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, NC State’s Grayson McCall, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, SMU’s Preston Stone, Florida State’s DJ Uiagalelei and Miami’s Cam Ward.
Both McCord and Uiagalelei were semifinalists for the award last season.
The official Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, October 22nd and will include active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, players who were honored as Great 8 recipients weekly through the first eight weeks of the season and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee. The Midseason Watch List will be whittled down to the 35-player Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024 on Tuesday, October 29th.
For the fourth consecutive year, fan voting on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) will earn players bonus votes from the selection committee during the semifinalist, finalist and winner voting rounds. The first round of fan voting will begin on October 29, following the QB class announcement. The list of semifinalists selected from the QB class will be announced on Tuesday, November 12. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later on Tuesday, November 26. The 2024 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be announced on Thursday, December 12, during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show live on ESPN.
ACC representatives on the preseason watch list for the 2024 Davey O’Brien Award:
- Cade Klubnik, Clemson, junior, QB
- DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State, redshirt senior, QB
- Haynes King, Georgia Tech, redshirt junior, QB
- Cam Ward, Miami, senior, quarterback
- Grayson McCall, NC State, graduate student, QB
- Preston Stone, SMU, redshirt junior, QB
- Kyle McCord, Syracuse, senior, quarterback
- Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech, redshirt junior, QB
ACC Football Notes
- The ACC is the conference of quarterbacks, with the return of full-time starters Thomas Castellanos of Boston College, Cade Klubnik of Clemson, Grayson Loftis of Duke, Haynes King of Georgia Tech, Preston Stone of SMU and Kyron Drones of Virginia Tech, as well as transfers DJ Uiagalelei of Florida State, Tyler Shough of Louisville, Cam Ward of Miami, Grayson McCall of NC State and Kyle McCord of Syracuse, to name a few.
- ACC had 10 quarterbacks on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, no other conference had more.
- Eight ACC quarterbacks were named to the preseason watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award, more than any other conference.
- ACC has the top-ranked group of quarterback transfers in 2024, according to CBS Sports.
- 13 quarterbacks in the league will start the 2024 season with over 20 touchdown passes and 3,500 passing yards.
- Eight quarterbacks from ACC schools are expected to start in the first week of the 2024 NFL season – that’s 25 percent of NFL teams.
- Since 2018, the ACC has had at least one quarterback selected in the first round in five different drafts – the only conference to do so.
- The ACC’s non-conference schedule continues to be the most demanding in the country.
- 27 games against Power 4 opponents, including Notre Dame, the most of any conference.
- Nine non-conference games against teams ranked in the final 2023 Associated Press Top 25 poll, more than from any other conference.
- 10 non-conference games against teams in ESPN’s 2024 Way-Too-Early Top 25, the most of any conference.
- ACC is characterized by first-class coaching management
- As announced by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl, six ACC head coaches were named to the 2024 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List; no other conference has more.
- Two of the three active coaches to win a national title come from the ACC – Dabo Swinney led Clemson to national titles in 2016 and 2018. North Carolina’s Mack Brown won a national title at Texas in 2005.
- The 2024 ACC Football Championship Game will kick off on Saturday, December 7, in prime time at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
About the Davey O’Brien Award
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is given annually to the nation’s top 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 on Monday, February 17, 2025, at the Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
About the NCFAA
Founded in 1997, the National College Football Awards Association presents the most prestigious awards in college football. Since 1935, its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients. For more information about the NCFAA and its awards programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow us on X at @NCFAA.
