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The Davey O'Brien Foundation announced their 2014 Watch List today, and to the surprise of exactly no one, Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg was one of the 39 QBs who was named to the list.
The award, which has been given each year since 1981 to the nation's best quarterback, is officially called the "Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award". PSU is tied for third historically with two all-time winners (Todd Blackledge won the second ever Award, and this morning's BSD favorite player Kerry Collins won in 1994). Only BYU, Florida, FSU and Oklahoma have had more Davey O'Brien Award winners--something of a surprise for a school not known for its quarterbacks.
Hackenberg was previously named to the Maxwell Award watch list. He is one of seven sophomores on the list, and one of five Big Ten quarterbacks on the watch list. He'll undoubtedly be the focal point of a Penn State offense that will be without its arguably best returning playmaker, surprising many with almost 3,000 yards passing, a 58.9 completion percentage, and 20:10 TD:INT ration in his inaugural season in the blue and white.