Davey O’Brien Great 8 for Week 12 Announced

FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 17, 2025) — The Davey O’Brien Foundation has announced its Great 8 quarterbacks for Week 12, a group that includes three sophomores and two freshmen.

This week’s recipients are Bear Bachmeier of BYU, Jax State’s Caden Creel, Dru DeShields of Kent State, Texas State’s Brad Jackson, Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed, Jeff Sims of Arizona State and Georgia’s Gunner Stockton.

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 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.

—www.DaveyOBrienAward.com—

Davey O’Brien Great 8: Week 12

Bear Bachmeier, BYU, Fr., 6-2, 230, Murrieta, Calif.

·      Was 23-for-33 passing for 296 yards and a touchdown and rushed 10 times for 59 yards and a score in a 44-13 win over TCU.

Caden Creel, Jax State, So., 6-0, 200, Fairhope, Ala.

·      Carried 14 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 137 yards (17.1 per completion) in a 35-26 win over Kennesaw State.

Dru DeShields, Kent State, So., 6-2, 185, Beloit, Ohio

·      Connected on 17 of 25 pass attempts while setting career highs in passing yards (317) and passing touchdowns (5) as Kent State defeated Akron, 42-35, in overtime.

Brad Jackson, Texas State, R-Fr., 6-0, 200, San Antonio, Texas

·      Was 14-for-17 (.824) through the air for 192 yards and a touchdown and rushed 16 times for 49 yards and two more scores in a 41-14 win at Southern Miss.

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, Jr., 6-5, 225, Miami, Fla.

·      Had twice as many touchdown passes (4) as incompletions, as he finished 22-for-24 (.917) for 299 yards as the Hoosiers downed Wisconsin, 31-7.

Marcel Reed, Texas A&M, So., 6-1, 185, Nashville, Tenn.

·      Totaled 452 yards of offense and had three touchdown passes to help the Aggies earn a 27-point second-half comeback win over South Carolina (31-30).

Jeff Sims, Arizona State, Sr., 6-4, 220, Jacksonville, Fla.

·      Collected 288 total yards of offense (207 passing, 81 rushing) and threw three touchdown passes in a 25-23 win over West Virginia.

Gunner Stockton, Georgia, Jr., 6-1, 215, Tiger, Ga.

·      Accounted for five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) with 229 passing yards (24-for-29) and 29 rushing yards in a 35-10 win over No. 10 Texas.