Clemson's Watson beats out Louisville's Jackson for QB award

ATLANTA (AP) Deshaun Watson has won the Davey O'Brien award as the nation's top quarterback for the second year in a row, beating out Louisville's Lamar

ATLANTA (AP) Deshaun Watson has won the Davey O'Brien award as the nation's top quarterback for the second year in a row, beating out Louisville's Lamar Jackson.

In a possible preview of the Heisman Trophy race, the Clemson star knocked off the player viewed as the favorite for college football's top individual award.

After collecting his trophy Thursday night, Watson said he was confident of beating out Jackson and the other finalist, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield.

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Miami (FL)
• Georgia
• Utah
• Indiana
• Alabama
• Kentucky
• Texas
• UCLA
• BYU
• Ole Miss
• Notre Dame
• Ohio State

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

The award ceremony was held at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, about an hour's drive from Watson's hometown of Gainesville, Georgia.

---

For more AP college football coverage: www.collegefootball.ap.org