Davey O’Brien Award Names Week 2 Great 8
FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 14, 2026) — The Davey O’Brien Foundation has released the eight quarterbacks honored on the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list for week two. The list includes Bear Bachmeier of BYU, Utah’s Devon Dampier, JJ Kohl of FIU, Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, Austin Simmons of Missouri, Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, Michael Van Buren Jr. of South Florida and Florida Atlantic’s Caden Veltkamp.
All quarterbacks who are named to the Great 8 during the first nine weeks of the season officially join the Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List. Through two weeks, 16 different quarterbacks have been honored.
The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week, selected from the Great 8 list, will be revealed Tuesday at 11 a.m. (CT).
The Davey O’Brien Foundation was created in 1977 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary season this year. The National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981.
Over its time, the Davey O’Brien Foundation has given away more than $1.4 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.
In 1938, O’Brien, who wore No. 8 as a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
Davey O’Brien Great 8: Week 2
Bear Bachmeier, BYU, So., 6-2, 230, Murrieta, Calif.
· Was 16-for-26 for 217 yards and three touchdowns and carried six times for 37 yards and a score in a 28-17 win over Arizona.
Devon Dampier, Utah, Sr., 5-11, 210, Phoenix, Ariz.
· Connected on 18 of 24 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns and added 50 rushing yards and two more TDs in a 43-10 victory over Arkansas.
JJ Kohl, FIU, Jr., 6-7, 250, Ankeny, Iowa
· Amassed 405 yards of offense (367 passing, 19 rushing, 19 receiving) and four total touchdowns (three passing, one receiving) in a 33-20 win over Buffalo.
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State, So., 6-3, 210, Austin, Texas
· Steered Oklahoma State to a 39-31 upset of No. 6 Oregon by going 26-for-43 for 317 yards and two TDs and rushing six times for 109 yards and a score.
Austin Simmons, Missouri, Sr., 6-4, 220, Miami, Fla.
· Helped Missouri to a 38-21 victory at Kansas in the Border War by connecting on 19 of 29 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns.
Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State, So., 6-4, 230, Macon, Miss.
· Was 16-for-22 for 227 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 13 times for 86 yards as Mississippi State secured a 38-13 win at Minnesota.
Michael Van Buren Jr., South Florida, Jr., 6-0, 195, Bowie, Md.
· Accounted for all four Bulls’ touchdowns (two passing, two rushing), including the game-winning 38-yard, 4th-down strike with 19 seconds left in a 28-24 comeback win at Army.
Caden Veltkamp, Florida Atlantic, Sr., 6-5, 235, Bowling Green, Ky.
· Threw as many touchdown passes (5) as incompletions, as he finished 27-for-32 (.844) for 386 yards, as Florida Atlantic downed Navy, 38-30.