August 18, 2005
Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal joined fellow 2004 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award semifinalists Chris Leak of Florida, Matt Leinart of USC and Jared Zabransky of Boise State on the award's 2005 "watch list," which was announced by the Davey O'Brien Foundation on Thursday.
The honors continue to roll in for McNeal, a senior from Lufkin, Texas, who is also on the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
Recently called the "most complete dual-threat quarterback in the nation" by ESPN, McNeal had a record-setting junior campaign that included school records in passing yards and total offense. McNeal passed for 2,791 yards and 14 touchdowns on 200-of-344 passing, while rushing for a quarterback school record 718 yards. He was responsible for 3,509 yards of total offense, which broke the old school mark by over 800 yards
The O'Brien Award is the oldest and most prestigious award in the country for college quarterbacks and is named in honor of the late Davey O'Brien. O'Brien led the TCU Horned Frogs to the 1938 national championship and was the first player to win the Heisman, Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards in one season.
Semifinalists will be announced in early November as voted on by the O'Brien Selection Committee, a nationwide panel of sportswriters and commentators, as well as former O'Brien Award winners. The committee will then narrow the field to three finalists and then the winner.
The thirty three candidates, in alphabetical order, are:
Erik Ainge, Tennessee
John Beck, BYU
Corey Bramlet, Wyoming
Brian Brohm, Louisville
Shaun Carney, Air Force
Kellen Clemens, Oregon
Brodie Croyle, Alabama
Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt
Bruce Gradkowski, Toledo
Tye Gunn, TCU
Darrell Hackney, UAB
Marques Hagans, Virginia
Chad Henne, Michigan
Justin Holland, Colorado State
Omar Jacobs, Bowling Green
Steven Jyles, Louisiana-Monroe
Kevin Kold, Houston
*Chris Leak, Florida
*Matt Leinart, USC
Clint Marks, Middle Tenn. St.
*Reggie McNeal, Texas A&M
Tyler Palko, Pittsburgh
Jordan Palmer, UTEP
Paul Pinegar, Fresno State
Quinton Porter, Boston College
Jeff Rowe, Nevada
Brad Smith, Missouri
Drew Stanton, Michigan State
Drew Tate, Iowa
Marcus Vick, Virginia Tech
Charlie Whitehurst, Clemson
Vince Young, Texas
*Jared Zabransky, Boise State
* - Denotes 2004 Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist
Aggies on 2005 Award Watch Lists
Player Pos. Cl-Exp. Award
Jaxson Appel S Sr-3L Jim Thorpe Award
Jaxson Appel S Sr-3L Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year Award
Reggie McNeal QB Sr-3L Maxwell Award
Reggie McNeal QB Sr-3L Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
Reggie McNeal QB Sr-3L Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award
Todd Pegram PK Sr-3L Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Award
Chris Yoder OL So-1L Rimington Trophy