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Three SEC quarterbacks were among the 12 finalists named Tuesday for the Manning Award. No other Power 5 conference had more than two candidates.
Arkansas’ Brandon Allen, Mississippi’s Chad Kelly and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott are candidates to win the award, named after former SEC greats Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning.
“I am very pleased with this outstanding group that was selected as our finalists,” Archie Manning said in a release. “I appreciate the time and expertise of our voting panel who made the effort to get us to these final 12. The skills and accomplishments of some very impressive young men who didn’t make the finalist list shows just how competitive it is to be selected.
“Now we get to see how these guys do on an even bigger stage – conference championship games and bowl games.”
Kelly ranks second among the 12 candidates with 3,740 passing yards.
The 2015 winner will be announced after the bowls in January.
Oregon’s Marcus Mariota won the award last season.
Former SEC winners include Tim Tebow (Florida), Cam Newton (Auburn) and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M).
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
