Shea Patterson Named To O’Brien Award Watch List

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Shea Patterson Named To O’Brien Award Watch List

Shea Patterson, photo by Steven Gagliano

Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Shea Patterson is one of 30 quarterbacks named to the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award watch list, the Davey O’Brien Foundation announced Wednesday morning.

Patterson was previously named to the Maxwell Award watch list this offseason after a stellar performance in three starts as a freshman. In his collegiate debut, Patterson led the Rebels to an upset road win over No. 8 Texas A&M, directing a second-half comeback for the 29-28 victory. In three contests, he averaged 293.3 passing yards and 56.3 rushing yards per game and totaled six touchdowns with three interceptions.
The Shreveport, Louisiana, native makes four O’Brien Award watch list nominations for Ole Miss since 2013. Bo Wallace earned a nomination in 2013 and 2014, and he was a semifinalist for the award in 2014. Chad Kelly was nominated and was a semifinalist as well last season.
Two returning O’Brien Award finalists—Lamar Jackson of Louisville and Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma—have returned to this year’s watch list.
Patterson is one of six Southeastern Conference quarterbacks to be named, alongside Austin Allen of Arkansas, South Carolina’s Jake Bentley, Jacob Eason of Georgia, Nick Fitzgerald of Mississippi State and Alabama’s Jalen Hurts. The SEC’s six nominations lead all conferences.
Ole Miss’ rising sophomore was one of just eight quarterbacks from his class on the list. Juniors and seniors, with 11 nominations apiece, accounted for 22 of the 30 nominees.
Fans are invited to take part O’Brien Award voting at VoteOBrien.org. Results from the fan vote will be combined with the ballots from the Selection Committee. Fan voting begins Tuesday, Sept. 5. The winner will be announced at the 41st Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018, in Fort Worth.
2017 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List
Austin Allen (Arkansas, Sr., Fayetteville, Ark.)
Josh Allen (Wyoming, Jr., Firebaugh, Calif.)
J.T. Barrett (Ohio State, Sr., Wichita Falls, Texas)
Jake Bentley (South Carolina, So., Opelika, Ala.)
Jake Browning (Washington, Jr., Granite Bay, Calif.)
Shane Buechele (Texas, So., Arlington, Texas)
Sam Darnold (USC, So., Capistrano Beach, Calif.)
Eric Dungey (Syracuse, Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore.)
Jacob Eason (Georgia, So., Lake Stevens, Wash.)
Jesse Ertz (Kansas State, Sr., Burlington, Iowa)
Luke Falk (Washington State, Sr., Logan, Utah)
Riley Ferguson (Memphis, Sr., Matthews, N.C.)
Nick Fitzgerald (Mississippi State, Jr., Richmond Hill, Ga.)
Quinton Flowers (USF, Sr., Miami, Fla.)
Deondre Francois (Florida State, So., Orlando, Fla.)
Jalen Hurts (Alabama, So., Houston, Texas)
Lamar Jackson (Louisville, Jr., Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Daniel Jones (Duke, So., Charlotte, N.C.)
Tanner Mangum (BYU, Jr., Eagle, Idaho)
Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma, Sr., Austin, Texas)
Trace McSorley (Penn State, Jr., Ashburn, Va.)
Shea Patterson (Ole Miss, So., Shreveport, La.)
Josh Rosen (UCLA, Jr., Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State, Sr., Rock Hill, S.C.)
Brett Rypien (Boise State, Jr., Spokane, Wash.)
Brandon Silvers (Troy, Sr., Orange Beach, Ala.)
Wilton Speight (Michigan, Jr., Richmond, Va.)
Brent Stockstill (Middle Tennessee, Jr., Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
Mike White (Western Kentucky, Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Logan Woodside (Toledo, Sr., Frankfurt, Ky.)
Follow Ole Miss Football on Twitter (@OleMissFB), Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit www.OleMissSports.com.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Ole Miss’ Gates Lands on Butkus Award Watch List

DeMarquis Gates, photo by Steven Gagliano

Ole Miss senior DeMarquis Gates has been named to the 51-man watch list for the 2017 Butkus Award®, which honors the best linebacker in college football.

Mirroring the legendary “51” pro jersey of the award’s namesake Dick Butkus, whom NFL Films considers the best defensive player in football history, the watch list features 51 players identified by a 51-person selection panel of deeply experienced coaches, talent evaluators and journalists. Appearance on the watch list is not required to become a winner.
Gates, who hails from Hampton, Georgia, has led the Rebels in tackles in each of the last two seasons, including 79 as a junior last fall. He ranked 10th among SEC players with 7.2 tackles per game and was second on the team in both sacks (4.0) and tackles for loss (5.5). He has played in 37 of the Rebels’ last 38 games and started 12 times at multiple linebacker spots.
Ole Miss has a long history of successful linebackers, including 2006 Butkus Award winner Patrick Willis.
The watch list includes candidates from 42 universities, including six returning semifinalists and one returning finalist, Josey Jewell of Iowa.
Semifinalists will be named October 30, finalists November 20, and winners will be notified on or before December 5.
Formed in 1985, the Butkus Award was expanded in 2008 to honor linebackers at three levels while helping spread the word about Butkus’ I Play Clean™ initiative which encourages teens to eat well, train hard, and play with attitude instead of resorting to performance-enhancing drugs.
The Butkus Award, www.thebutkusaward.com and on Facebook at 51.butkus, is presented by the Butkus Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. Selection criteria is located on the official website. The Butkus Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. Its 23 awards have honored more than 800 people since 1935. Visit www.NCFAA.org for more information.
Follow Ole Miss Football on Twitter (@OleMissFB), Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit www.OleMissSports.com.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports 
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