 Laramie, Wyo. (Aug. 16, 2017) – Add another preseason honor to the list of Wyoming junior quarterback Josh Allen’s honors entering the 2017 season. On Wednesday, Allen was one of 30 of the nation’s top quarterbacks to be named to the Manning Award Preseason Watch List. The winner of this year’s award will be selected after the bowl season is complete by a voting panel, which includes national media and each of the Mannings.
The Manning Award was created by and is sponsored 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.
Allen helped lead the Wyoming Cowboys to the 2016 Mountain West Conference Mountain Division title and a berth in the MW Championship Game hosted by the University of Wyoming. The Cowboys went on to appear in the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
As a sophomore in 2016, Allen ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 6 nationally in passing yards per completion (15.33 yards). He also led the MW and was No. 16 in the country in points responsible for (218). Allen threw 28 touchdown passes in 2016, placing him No. 1 in the conference and No. 20 in the NCAA. He was second in the MW and 32nd in the nation in passing yards (3,203). Allen was also No. 2 in the conference and No. 40 in the nation in total offense (266.1 yards per game).
This year’s Watch List includes players from all 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences.
Midseason additions to the Watch List will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 12. The list of 10 finalists will be released on Thursday, Nov. 30. The winner will be announced in the week following the College Football Playoff National Championship.
“We have had the opportunity to recognize 12 outstanding quarterbacks with the Manning Award,†said Paul Hoolahan, Allstate Sugar Bowl CEO. “It is truly a great honor for the Allstate Sugar Bowl to sponsor this award and we wish the best of luck to every quarterback and team in the country for another great year of college football.â€
In its first 13 years, the Manning Award has recognized the top names in college football. It has honored quarterbacks from 11 different schools and from four different conferences. The Southeastern Conference (Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton, JaMarcus Russell and Tim Tebow) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (Deshaun Watson twice, Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston) lead the way with four Manning Award winners each, while Texas is the only school with two different winners (Colt McCoy and Vince Young).
Statistically, the Manning Award has seen a wide-range of quarterbacks. Ten of the Manning Award men threw for over 3,000 yards in their winning campaign, including 4,000-yard seasons from Robert Griffin III, Marcus Mariota, Ryan, Watson (twice) and Winston. On the other hand, Watson (in 2015), Young, Manziel and Newton were all 1,000-yard rushers during their Manning years.
Perhaps most impressive among the statistics of the quarterbacks recognized by the Manning Award is touchdowns scored. Eight of the winners accounted for over 40 touchdowns during their successful seasons – Mariota tallied a Manning Award-best 58 touchdowns during his winning campaign in 2014.
Previous Manning Award winners have also factored prominently in the NFL Draft as they all heard their names called on Draft Day. Three honorees were selected No. 1 overall (Newton, Russell and Winston), while four others went No. 2 or No. 3 (Griffin, Mariota, Ryan and Young).
All the Manning Award winners follow in the footsteps of the Mannings themselves. In college, Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning combined for over 25,000 passing yards and 201 touchdowns while playing in 10 bowl games and earning four bowl MVP awards. Archie was the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, while both Peyton and Eli were selected No. 1 overall.
In addition to the Manning Award’s yearly honor, each week during the regular season, eight quarterbacks are recognized as Manning Quarterbacks of the Week. Sixty-one players from 59 different schools were honored during the 2016 season.
