Howell Named To O'Brien QB Class of 2021 List

FORT WORTH, Texas – Sam Howell has been named to the Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2021. Each member of the 40-player group is now an official candidate to win the 2021 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.

Howell is one of 13 quarterbacks on the list for the second year in a row. The junior from Indian Trail, North Carolina, has tossed 18 touchdowns and thrown for 1,851 yards on 129 of 211 passing attempts. On the ground, Howell has rushed for 494 yards, fourth most among FBS quarterbacks, and scored five touchdowns.

He ranks ninth nationally with 335.0 yards of total offense per game.

The next step in the process will be to select the award's 16 semifinalists from the 40 quarterbacks. The semifinalists will be chosen based on voting from the Davey O'Brien National Selection Committee as well as the first round of the Davey O'Brien Fan Vote.

For the second straight year, the Fan Vote will take place on the award's three social media platforms—Instagram, Twitter and Facebook—and the top five vote getters on each 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 the quarterback. Each round of the selection process (semifinalist, finalist and winner) will offer two one-week voting periods for fans. The 16 semifinalists will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 9, while the finalists will be tabbed on Tuesday, Nov. 23. The winner will be announced live on Thursday, Dec. 9 on The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

The Davey O'Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981. Over its time, the Davey O'Brien Foundation has given away more than $1.2 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.

In 1938, O'Brien, who was a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org.

Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Timeline
Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2021 Announced (Tuesday, Oct. 26)
Round 1 Fan Vote Open (Week #1 – Tuesday, Oct. 26-Sunday, Oct. 31)
Round 1 Fan Vote Open (Week #2 – Tuesday, Nov. 2-Sunday, Nov. 7)
16 Semifinalists Announced (Tuesday, Nov. 9)
Round 2 Fan Vote Open (Week #1 – Tuesday, Nov. 9-Sunday, Nov. 14)
Round 2 Fan Vote Open (Week #2 – Tuesday, Nov. 16-Sunday, Nov. 21)
3 Finalists Announced (Tuesday, Nov. 23)
Round 3 Fan Vote Open (Week #1 – Tuesday, Nov. 23-Sunday, Nov. 28)
Round 3 Fan Vote Open (Week #2 – Tuesday, Nov. 30-Sunday, Dec. 5)
Winner Announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards (Thursday, Dec. 9)

Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2021
Brennan Armstrong, Virginia, Jr. 6-2, 215, Shelby, Ohio
Stetson Bennett, Georgia, Sr., 5-11, 190, Blackshear, Ga.
Gerry Bohanon, Baylor, Jr., 6-3, 221, Earle, Ark.
Anthony Brown, Oregon, Sr., 6-3, 226, Cliffwood, N.J.
Sean Clifford, Penn State, Sr., 6-2, 219, Cincinnati, Ohio
Matt Corral, Ole Miss, Jr., 6-2, 205, Ventura, Calif.
Dustin Crum, Kent State, Sr., 6-3, 207, Grafton, Ohio
Malik Cunningham, Louisville, Jr., 6-1, 200, Montgomery, Ala.
Jayden Daniels, Arizona State, Jr., 6-3, 185, San Bernardino, Calif.
Kaleb Eleby, Western Michigan, So. 6-1, 210, Maryland Heights, Mo.
Jake Haener, Fresno State, Sr., 6-1, 195, Danville, Calif.
Frank Harris, UTSA, Sr., 6-0, 200, Schertz, Texas
Sam Hartman, Wake Forest, So., 6-1, 208, Charlotte, N.C.
Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, Sr., 6-4, 218, Greensboro, N.C.
Sam Howell, North Carolina, Jr., 6-1, 220, Indian Trail, N.C.
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas, So., 6-3, 245, Sardis, Miss.
Devin Leary, NC State, So., 6-1, 212, Sicklerville, N.J.
Will Levis, Kentucky, Jr., 6-3, 232, Madison, Conn.
Levi Lewis, Louisiana, Sr., 5-10, 185, Baton Rouge, La.
Adrian Martinez, Nebraska, Jr., 6-2, 212, Fresno, Calif.
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina, So., 6-3, 210, Indian Trail, N.C.
Tanner McKee, Stanford, So., 6-6, 225, Corona, Calif.
Tanner Mordecai, SMU, Jr., 6-3, 218, Waco, Texas
Bo Nix, Auburn, Jr., 6-3, 214, Pinson, Ala.
N'Kosi Perry, Florida Atlantic, Sr., 6-4, 198, Ocala, Fla.
Kenny Pickett, Pitt, Sr., 6-3, 220, Oakhurst, N.J.
Brock Purdy, Iowa State, Sr., 6-1, 220, Gilbert, Ariz.
Chris Reynolds, Charlotte, Sr., 5-11, 192, Mocksville, N.C.
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati, Sr., 6-4, 215, Louisville, Ky.
Cameron Rising, Utah, So., 6-2, 200, Ventura, Calif.
Will Rogers, Mississippi State, So., 6-2, 210, Brandon, Miss.
Carson Strong, Nevada, Sr., 6-4, 215, Vacaville, Calif.
C.J. Stroud, Ohio State, R-Fr., 6-3, 218, Empire, Calif.
Casey Thompson, Texas, Jr., 6-1, 200, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA, Sr., 6-1, 205, Las Vegas, Nev.
Payton Thorne, Michigan State, So., 6-0, 210, Naperville, Ill.
Caleb Williams, Oklahoma, Fr., 6-1, 218, Washington, D.C.
Malik Willis, Liberty, Jr., 6-1, 225, Atlanta, Ga.
Bryce Young, Alabama, So., 6-0, 194, Pasadena, Calif.
Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky, Sr., 6-1, 220, Victoria, Texas

Players Mentioned

Sam Howell

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