Milroe named to Davey O’Brien Award Watchlist

The Crimson Tide faithful have much to be happy about, as one of their players was named to an award's watchlist. Quarterback Jalen Milroe was named to the Davey O'Brien Watchlist Award. This award highlights the best quarterback in college football.

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Jalen Milroe, entering his junior season, will lead the offense this year, as he did last year. Milroe is the highest-ranked returning player from the 2023 season to receive a Heisman vote. He was sixth in the Heisman Trophy race last season. Milroe completed 65.8% of his passes in 2023, accumulating 2,834 yards and a 23-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Milroe also ran 531 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on the ground. The Associated Press named Milroe second-team All-SEC and a finalist for the Manning Award.

The Davey O'Brien Award is named after Davey O'Brien.

O'Brien, born in Dallas, Texas, in 1917, was a standout quarterback from an early age, leading his high school team to the Texas State finals in 1932. He enrolled at Texas Christian University (TCU) in 1935 and began playing behind Sammy Baugh.

By 1937, O'Brien had become TCU's main quarterback and was gaining fame, eventually leading the Horned Frogs to their first undefeated season and the National Championship in 1938. His record-breaking performance that year garnered him numerous awards, including the Heisman, Maxwell, and Walter Camp trophies, making him the first athlete to complete the trifecta.

Following college, O'Brien briefly played in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he set a new passing record, before resigning in 1940 to join the FBI. He then entered the oil business and was honored in the College Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. O'Brien died in 1977 following a fight with cancer.

The Davey O'Brien Award recognizes candidates who embody Davey O'Brien's unwavering character while demonstrating teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership in both academics and athletics. Over the last 40 years, the award has gone to several of college football's most well-known players, many of whom have gone on to have NFL careers.

Quarterbacks on this year's watchlist are:

• Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State
• Drew Allar, Penn State
• Rocco Becht, Iowa State
• Carson Beck, Georgia
• Byrum Brown, South Florida
• Brady Cook, Missouri
• Jalon Daniels, Kansas
• Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
• Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech
• Quinn Ewers, Texas
• Noah Fifita, Arizona
• TJ Finley, Western Kentucky
• Dequan Finn, Baylor
• Brett Gabbert, Miami (OH)
• Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
• Garrett Greene, West Virginia
• Seth Henigan, Memphis
• Will Howard, Ohio State
• KJ Jefferson, UCF
• Mikey Keene, Fresno State
• Haynes King, Georgia Tech
• Cade Klubnik, Clemson
• Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
• Grayson McCall, NC State
• Jordan McCloud, Texas State
• Kyle McCord, Syracuse
• Graham Mertz, Florida
• Cameron Rising, Utah
• Will Rogers, Washington
• Kaidon Salter, Liberty
• Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
• Preston Stone, SMU
• DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State
• Cameron Ward, Miami
• Jacob Zeno, UAB

Alabama opens its 2024 season on Aug. 31 at home against Western Kentucky. The Crimson Tide will play its first season without former head coach Nick Saban since 2007.

Chase Brumfield is the morning producer and writer for Tide 100.9. He is currently a senior studying communications at Mississippi State University. Follow Chase for more Alabama content on X at @cb3864.