Hill named to Davey O'Brien Watch List

PROVO, Utah—Junior quarterback Taysom Hill received his ninth preseason honor Wednesday, earning a spot on the Davey O’Brien Award Watch List.

Hill was one of 39 quarterbacks named to the list. This year’s list, which was compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee, was selected based on player performance during the previous year and expectations heading into the 2014 college football season. All nominees were required to have started at least one college game previously.

Hill, a junior from Poctaello, Idaho, was named the 2013 College Sports Madness Independent Offensive Player of the Year after recording 2,938 passing yards and 1,344 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. He finished second only to the 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer in total offensive yards by a BYU sophomore quarterback.

So far, Hill has been named to watch lists for the Heisman Trophy (two lists), the Maxwell Award, College Football Performance Awards Quarterback Trophy and Allstate AFCA Good Works. He was also named Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent First Team, Sporting News Top 25 and a Touch Down Club of Columbus Player to Watch.

BYU boasts three of the past winners of the Davey O’Brien Award—Jim McMahon (1981), Steve Young (1983) and Detmer (1990 and 1991). With four honors, BYU has the most of any school in the award’s history.

For a complete list of winners, visit daveyobrien.org.