As if being selected to the Maxwell Player of the year watchlist wasn’t enough, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will also be eyed as a candidate to win the Davey O’Brien Award. The Davey O’Brien Award is handed out to college football’s top quarterback for that particular season. The last two years Oklahoma quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield have taken home the hardware and Tagovailoa looks to break that streak this season.
It should come as no surprise that based off of last season, the Heisman runner up would be eyed as one of the best players, let alone quarterbacks, in the entire country. After winning the starting job last year Tagovailoa put on an absolute show passing for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns. Both were Alabama records and all of this was done while not playing in most second halves.
Although Tua may seem like a lock-based off of his stellar numbers from last season, there will surely be a lot of competition throughout the country. Fellow SEC quarterback Jake Fromm (Georgia), will definitely have revenge on his mind any way he can get it after the last two seasons ended against Alabama. Not mention Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence will now enter his first full season as the starting quarterback, along with an extremely favorable schedule.
Having a lot of competition is something that Alabama players are very accustomed to. If Tagovailoa keeps trending in the right direction as he’s done his entire career, then there may not be enough trophies to hand him by seasons end.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
