Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa Named a Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist

Alabama sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been named one of 16 semifinalists for the 2018 Davey O’Brien Award, the Davey O’Brien Foundation announced Wednesday.

In his first full season as Alabama’s starting quarterback, Tagovailoa is authoring one of the top passing seasons in UA history. The Ewa Beach, Hawai’i, native leads the nation in yards per completion and is second in yards per attempt and passing efficiency. His 27 touchdown passes this season ranks No. 4 on the Alabama single-season list, and he is already No. 5 on the Tide career touchdown pass list with 38 scoring tosses in 18 career games.

The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest national quarterback award. The Davey O’Brien Award honors candidates who exemplify Davey O’Brien’s enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership in both academics and athletics.

The three finalists for this year’s O’Brien Award will be revealed Monday, Nov. 19. The 2018 winner will be announced at the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 6 in Atlanta, Ga.

The national semifinalist recognition is the second of the season for the sophomore signal caller. He was previously announced as a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award in October.