Justin Fields on Manning Award Watch List
It has been quite the off-season for Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. As the days count down towards the start of the hopeful College Football season, the award watch list numbers keep adding up for the Buckeye signal-caller.
Earlier today, Fields was named to the Allstate Sugar Bowl Manning Award watch list. This marks the third award watch list that Fields has been named to within the last two weeks. He's also on the watch list for the Maxwell Award and the Davey O'Brien Trophy.
The Manning Award is unlike any other award in College Football. The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ bowl performances in its balloting. The presentation of the award happens at the conclusion of bowl season.
Here are all of the candidates on this year's watch list.
Fields would be in pretty good company if he hauls in the award at the end of the season. The previous three winners — Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield — also brought home the Heisman Trophy. In recent years, being named the best quarterback in college football came with being drafted first overall for Burrow, Mayfield, and Murray.
In fact, every award winner except Colt McCoy (2009) has gone on to become a first round pick. Another former winner is current NFL star Deshaun Watson.
Watson is the only quarterback to win the award twice, taking home the prize in consecutive years for Clemson. He was the last winner to earn the award and not win a Heisman trophy. While playing for the National Champion Tigers, Watson was twice a Heisman finalist. Fields has already matched Watson once in that category. Fields accompanied Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and former teammate Chase Young in New York as finalists last season.
If Fields brings home the trophy at the end of the season, he would be the first quarterback to claim the award from the Big Ten.
Stay tuned to BuckeyesNow and all of our social media outlets (@BuckeyesNowSI) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for continued coverage!
