The finalists for the 2014 Manning Award, given annually to the best quarterback in the FBS, were announced on Tuesday afternoon, including two SEC signal callers.
Alabama’s Blake Sims and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott were among the 11 finalists for the award, which will be handed out on Jan. 14 following the bowl season and the inaugural College Football Playoff. The Manning Award is the only quarterback award that takes postseason performances into account, which is why it will be released more than a month after most other college football awards.
Manning Award finalists: Barrett, Boykin, Cato, Grayson, Hundley, Kessler, Mariota, Petty, Dak Prescott, Sims, Winston
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 3, 2014
Sims dazzled in his only season as Alabama’s starting quarterback, throwing for 2,988 yards and 24 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions. He completed 63 percent of his passes and posted a passer rating of 159.51, which led the SEC in 2014. He also ran for 302 yards and six touchdowns.
Prescott was just as sensational for Mississippi State this season, coming just four yards passing and 61 yards rushing shy of the second 3,000-1,000 season in SEC history (Johnny Manziel in 2012 was the other). He was third in the SEC in passing yards, third in passer rating and first among quarterbacks in rushing yards. Prescott led MSU to its first 10-win regular season in more than 50 years and scored 38 total touchdowns in three different ways over the course of 12 regular season games.
Both Sims and Prescott join some elite company on the ballot of finalists:
- J.T. Barrett — Ohio State
- Trevone Boykin — TCU
- Rakeem Cato — Marshall
- Garrett Grayson — Colorado State
- Brett Hundley — UCLA
- Cody Kessler — USC
- Marcus Mariota — Oregon
- Bryce Petty — Baylor
- Jameis Winston — Florida State
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
