Baylor Football’s Dequan Finn Lands on Davey O’Brien Award Watch List

FORT WORTH, Texas – Baylor football sixth-year senior quarterback Dequan Finn has been named to the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List, as announced Thursday by the Davey O’Brien Foundation.

Finn, a transfer from Toledo, is one of 36 quarterbacks named to the award’s watch list. Compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee, this year’s list was selected based on previous Division I career player performance as well as expectations heading into the 2024 college football season.

The preseason list features 22 seniors, 12 juniors and two sophomores. The list includes eight members from the Big 12 Conference, tying for the most among leagues nationally.

The 2023 MAC Most Valuable Player, Finn led the league in passing efficiency (151.04), yards (2,657), touchdown passes (22) and total offense (247.7) a year ago. His 563 rushing yards were the most among MAC quarterbacks, as his dual-threat abilities landed him MAC West Offensive Player of the Week honors three times. He also earned his second-career all-conference accolade in 2023 and first as a first-team selection.

A native of Detroit, Finn comes to Baylor having played in 45 games over his collegiate career, including 32 starts. He has racked up 7,074 yards and 63 passing touchdowns while rushing for another 1,840 yards in his career on 389 carries with 25 TDs. This is Finn’s second career mention on the Davey O’Brien Award watch list.

The official Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Oct. 22, containing active quarterbacks from the preseason watch list, players honored weekly as Great 8 recipients through the season’s first eight weeks and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection committee.

The Midseason Watch List will be cut down to the 35-player Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024 on Oct. 29. For the fourth straight year, fan voting on social media will earn players bonus selection committee votes during the semifinalist, finalist and winner voting rounds. The first round of fan voting will begin following the QB Class announcement on Oct. 29.

The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Nov. 12, followed by a three-member finalist reveal on Nov. 26. The 2024 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be unveiled live on ESPN on Dec. 12, during The Home Depot College Football Awards.

The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The 48th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner honoring the winner will be held on Feb. 17, 2025, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

2024 Baylor Football Preseason Honors

Monaray Baldwin, WR

• Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List (No. 41)
• Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team (WR)
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team (WR)

Campbell Barrington, OL

• DCTF Preseason All-Texas First Team (OT)
• DCTF Lone Star Top 50 (No. 35)

Devyn Bobby, S

• Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team (S)

Josh Cameron, WR

• Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (PR)
• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (PR)
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (PR)
• Phil Steele Preseason All-America Fourth Team (PR)

Alvin Ebosele, OL

• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team (OL)

Dequan Finn, QB

• Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
• Davey O’Brien Award Preseason Watch List

Ashtyn Hawkins, WR

• Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List

Caden Jenkins, CB

• DCTF Preseason All-Texas First Team (CB)
• Pick Six Previews Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (DB)
• Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (CB)
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team (CB)
• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (CB)

Matt Jones, LB

• DCTF Preseason All-Texas First Team (LB)
• Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (LB)
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (LB)
• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (LB)

Kyler Jordan, OLB

• Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Cooper Lanz, DT

• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (DT)

Steve Linton, OLB

• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (EDGE)

Hal Presley, WR

• CSC Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List

Coleton Price, OL

• Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team (OL)

Richard Reese, RB/KR

• Paul Hornung Award Preseason Watch List
• Jet Award Preseason Watch List
• DCTF Lone Star Top 50 (No. 43)
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 First Team (KR)
• Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (KR)
• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (KR)

Kaden Sieracki, OG

• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (OG)

Carl Williams IV, CB

• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (CB)

TEAM AWARDS

• College Football Network Preseason All-Big 12 Defensive Line of the Year