Razorbacks, Red Wolves QB's on Davey O'Brien Watch List
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: July 18, 2012
University of Arkansas senior Tyler Wilson is on the Davey O'Brien Watch List, and so is Arkansas State University senior quarterback Ryan Aplin.
Wilson, a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist last season, is the only Razorback in school history to be named first-team All-SEC quarterback. He earned that honor in 2011 after leading Arkansas to a school-record-tying 11 wins in his first season as a starter. The Greenwood native holds nine school records, including career completion percentage, and has produced three of the top-five single-game completions marks in school history. He also ranks in the top 10 in school history in career touchdown passes, career pass completions and career pass attempts.
He finished the 2011 season 277-of-438 passing for 3,638 yards, leading the SEC with an average of 279.8 per game, and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions, becoming just the second Razorback to pass for 3,000 yards in a season and leading the SEC with the eighth-highest single-season passing yards total in conference history. He also led the SEC in total offense per game, completions and pass efficiency rating. Wilson's attempt-to-interceptions ratio of 1:73 was the third-best in SEC history with a minimum of 300 attempts and the fourth-best in conference history with a minimum of 200 attempts.
The Davey O'Brien Watch List is Wilson's fourth preseason recognition in the last 10 days. He also has been named to watch lists for the Maxwell Award and Manning Award and voted as the first-team quarterback on the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team.
ASU's Aplin, who was selected as the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year earlier this week, becomes the second player in the history of ASU football to be named to the Watch List, joining former quarterback Corey Leonard, who was a semifinalist for the award in 2007.
As a junior, Aplin completed 63.9 percent (304-of-476) of his passes for 3,588 yards and 19 touchdowns and was named the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. He also led the Red Wolves in rushing with 588 yards and 10 touchdowns. Arkansas State won the Sun Belt Championship with a perfect 8-0 league mark while finishing 10-3 overall.
Aplin was also the 2011-12 Sun Belt Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year and is a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference first-team selection. He will enter his senior season with 16 school records to his credit, including eight season, five single-game and three career marks. He enters his senior season as the SBC's fourth all-time leader in total offense, completions and passing yards. Among active players, Aplin is the nation's fifth leading player in career passing yards and completions, and fourth leading player in career total offense. He was recently named the USAToday Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, and was named to Athlon's, Blue Ribbon College Yearbook and Phil Steele's preseason first-team All-Sun Belt Conference lists. Aplin is also on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List and the Manning Award Watch List heading into the 2012 season.
Sixteen semifinalists will be announced Oct. 22 and from that group three finalists will be selected Nov. 19. The 2012 Davey O'Brien Award winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN on Dec. 6. The 36th annual Davey O'Brien Award Dinner will be held Feb. 18, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Beginning Sept. 4, fans can cast their vote once daily at VoteOBrien.org. The fan vote counts as 5% during each round of voting and is combined with the result from the Selection Committee. Voting totals are cleared after each round.
Wilson, a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist last season, is the only Razorback in school history to be named first-team All-SEC quarterback. He earned that honor in 2011 after leading Arkansas to a school-record-tying 11 wins in his first season as a starter. The Greenwood native holds nine school records, including career completion percentage, and has produced three of the top-five single-game completions marks in school history. He also ranks in the top 10 in school history in career touchdown passes, career pass completions and career pass attempts.
He finished the 2011 season 277-of-438 passing for 3,638 yards, leading the SEC with an average of 279.8 per game, and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions, becoming just the second Razorback to pass for 3,000 yards in a season and leading the SEC with the eighth-highest single-season passing yards total in conference history. He also led the SEC in total offense per game, completions and pass efficiency rating. Wilson's attempt-to-interceptions ratio of 1:73 was the third-best in SEC history with a minimum of 300 attempts and the fourth-best in conference history with a minimum of 200 attempts.
The Davey O'Brien Watch List is Wilson's fourth preseason recognition in the last 10 days. He also has been named to watch lists for the Maxwell Award and Manning Award and voted as the first-team quarterback on the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team.
ASU's Aplin, who was selected as the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year earlier this week, becomes the second player in the history of ASU football to be named to the Watch List, joining former quarterback Corey Leonard, who was a semifinalist for the award in 2007.
As a junior, Aplin completed 63.9 percent (304-of-476) of his passes for 3,588 yards and 19 touchdowns and was named the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. He also led the Red Wolves in rushing with 588 yards and 10 touchdowns. Arkansas State won the Sun Belt Championship with a perfect 8-0 league mark while finishing 10-3 overall.
Aplin was also the 2011-12 Sun Belt Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year and is a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference first-team selection. He will enter his senior season with 16 school records to his credit, including eight season, five single-game and three career marks. He enters his senior season as the SBC's fourth all-time leader in total offense, completions and passing yards. Among active players, Aplin is the nation's fifth leading player in career passing yards and completions, and fourth leading player in career total offense. He was recently named the USAToday Preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, and was named to Athlon's, Blue Ribbon College Yearbook and Phil Steele's preseason first-team All-Sun Belt Conference lists. Aplin is also on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List and the Manning Award Watch List heading into the 2012 season.
Sixteen semifinalists will be announced Oct. 22 and from that group three finalists will be selected Nov. 19. The 2012 Davey O'Brien Award winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN on Dec. 6. The 36th annual Davey O'Brien Award Dinner will be held Feb. 18, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Beginning Sept. 4, fans can cast their vote once daily at VoteOBrien.org. The fan vote counts as 5% during each round of voting and is combined with the result from the Selection Committee. Voting totals are cleared after each round.
