Jalon Daniels, Will Howard named to Davey O’Brien Award Watch List

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Kansas and Kansas State quarterbacks Jalon Daniels and Will Howard added to their list of preseason accolades on Tuesday.

The 2023 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List dropped including in a group of 35. The award goes to the nation’s top returning quarterback with the semifinalists named on November 7, three finalists exactly a month later and the winner of the award will be unveiled live on ESPN on December 7, during The Home Depot College Football Awards.

Daniels and Howard were two of five Big 12 quarterbacks named to the list joining Texas’ Quinn Ewers, UCF’s John Rhys Plumlee, and Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel. Reigning Heisman winner, USC quarterback Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy are all headline the watchlist.

Howard is the first Wildcat up for the award since 2017 after leading K-State to a Big 12 Championship last season. He threw for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns with four interceptions last season. Further Howard recorded multiple touchdown passes in six-straight games, the longest streak ever by a Wildcat in a single season. He adds this to several other award watch list honors ahead of the season.

Davey O’Brien Award Watch List

📄 https://t.co/jWbdRffbeW #KStateFB x @whoward_ pic.twitter.com/DBmPPAIPSd
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) August 8, 2023

This marks the third preseason watchlist for Daniels in addition to both the Maxwell Award and the Wuerffel Trophy. Daniels, the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, was a breakthrough player during the 2022 season as he led the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start and the program’s first bowl game appearance since 2008.

Another one for QB1 ⭐️@JalonDaniels6 has been named to the Davey O’Brien Award Watch List, given annually to the nation’s best QB.

More → https://t.co/ut7oMR6EaV pic.twitter.com/rW0NF7L7fc
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) August 8, 2023

The quarterback also was named a Second Team All-Big 12 selection, preseason All-Big 12 First Team and earned preseason all-conference honors from Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He topped off the previous season setting records in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, going 37-of-55 for 544 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown.

The upcoming season kicks off in Lawrence ahead of Manhattan as Kansas hosts Missouri State on September 1 and Kansas State hosts SEMO on September 2. Tickets for Kansas and K-State can be found here.

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