WOAY – West Virginia quarterback Will Grier and Virginia Tech quarterback Josh Jackson were both named Thursday to the preseason watch list for the 2018 Manning Award. This award goes annually to the top quarterback as voted on by a panel, including the Mannings, and is the only quarterback honor that takes bowl game performances into account.
This is the sixth watch list selection for Grier, who was also named the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year last month. He will enter 2018 coming off a successful first season with the Mountaineers, where he threw for 34 touchdowns, and was the conference’s Newcomer of the Year in both the preseason and postseason.
Jackson is about to begin his sophomore season with the Hokies, this being his second preseason watch list selection. Last year, the Ann Arbor, Michigan native threw for 2,991 yards and 20 touchdowns, setting school freshman passing records in both categories. He was a two-time ACC Freshman of the Week in 2017.
10 finalists for the Manning Award will be announced November 29, and the winner will be announced following the College Football Playoff National Championship.
