Driskel named to Davey O’Brien watch list

By
Raymond Hines
-

Special to GC

University of Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel was named to the 2014 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List, as announced by the Davey O’Brien Foundation Wednesday.

The redshirt junior from Oviedo, Fla., started three games in 2013 prior to suffering a season-ending fracture in his leg. Across three match ups, Driskel threw for 477 yards, completing 42-of-63 passes in his limited competition. He recorded career highs in attempts (33), completions (22) and passing yards (291) at Miami in week two.

The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The watch list was compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee and selected based on player performance during the previous year as well as expectations heading into the 2014 college football season. All nominees were required to have started at least one college game previously. Quarterbacks from all 125 NCAA Division I FBS schools are eligible for the award until the field is narrowed to 16 semifinalists on Monday, Nov. 3. The Foundation and the Selection Committee will announce three finalists on Monday, Nov. 24. The 2014 Davey O’Brien winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 11.

Driskel joins 12 juniors and four fellow SEC representatives on the watch list. Florida alum Tim Tebow was the last Gator to receive the award (2007). UF standout Danny Wuerffel is one of just three quarterbacks ever to win the award twice (1995-96).

Raymond Hines
Raymond Hines
http://alongtheray.com
Back when I was a wee one I had to decide if I wanted to live dangerously and become a computer hacker or start a website devoted to the Gators. I chose the Gators instead of the daily thrill of knowing my next meal might be at Leavenworth. No regrets, however. The Gators have been and will continue to be my addiction. What makes this so much fun is that the more addicted I become to the Florida Gators, the more fun I have doing innovative things to help bring all the Gator news that is news (and some that isn’t) to Gator fans around the world. Andy Warhol said we all have our 15 minutes of fame. Thanks to Gator Country, I’m working on a half hour. Thanks to an understanding daughter that can’t decide if she’s going to be the female version of Einstein, Miss Universe, President of the United States or a princess, I get to spend my days doing what I’ve done since Gus Garcia and I founded Gator Country back in 1996. Has it really been over a decade and a half now?

4 COMMENTS

  1. I wonder about the criteria, if it’s based on the previous year, what’s Driskel doing on the list? Better yet, why is Everett Golson on it? He wasn’t even on a team last year? I think the only requirement to be on a watch list is to have a pulse.