The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced its preseason Watch List on August 4, 2021. The list included 32 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2021 season. The winner was selected by a voting panel, which included national media and each of the Mannings, after the bowls.
The 2021 Watch List included players from all 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences. The ACC led the way with five selections, while the Big 12 and the Sun Belt had four each. The AAC, Big Ten, MAC, Pac-12 and the SEC each had three selections.
Six of the 2020 Manning Award finalists were included on the 2021 Watch List: Matt Corral (Ole Miss), Dillon Gabriel (UCF), Sam Howell (North Carolina), Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina), Brock Purdy (Iowa State) and Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati).
2021 Manning Award Preseason Watch List (2020 stats)
| Name, Class, School |
Cmp-Att |
Pct. |
Yards |
TD |
INT |
QBR |
Rushing |
| Cornelious Brown, So., Georgia State |
178-304 |
58.6 |
2,278 |
17 |
10 |
56.7 |
301 yds, 7 TDs |
| Sean Clifford, Jr., Penn State |
152-251 |
60.6 |
1,883 |
16 |
9 |
69.1 |
335 yds, 3 TDs |
| Matt Corral, Jr., Ole Miss |
231-326 |
70.9 |
3,337 |
29 |
14 |
89.9 |
506 yds, 4 TDs |
| Dustin Crum, Sr., Kent State |
83-113 |
73.5 |
1,181 |
12 |
2 |
88.5 |
240 yds, 4 TDs |
| Malik Cunningham, Sr., Louisville |
195-304 |
64.1 |
2,617 |
20 |
12 |
78.5 |
609 yds, 7 TDs |
| Jayden Daniels, Jr., Arizona State |
76-152 |
58.3 |
701 |
5 |
1 |
87.1 |
223 yds, 4 TDs |
| JT Daniels, Jr., Georgia |
80-119 |
67.2 |
1,231 |
10 |
2 |
NA |
NA |
| Max Duggan, Jr., TCU |
146-240 |
60.8 |
1,795 |
10 |
4 |
68.9 |
526 yds, 10 TDs |
| Kaleb Eleby, Jr., Western Michigan |
99-153 |
64.7 |
1,715 |
18 |
2 |
78.1 |
4 TDs |
| Dillon Gabriel, Jr., UCF |
248-413 |
60.0 |
3,570 |
32 |
4 |
78 |
169 yds, 2 TDs |
| Chase Garbers, Sr., Cal |
85-136 |
62.5 |
771 |
6 |
3 |
57.1 |
2 TDs |
| Frank Harris, Sr., UTSA |
159-250 |
63.6 |
1,630 |
12 |
6 |
62.3 |
528 yds, 9 TDs |
| Layne Hatcher, Jr., Arkansas State |
116-194 |
59.8 |
2,058 |
19 |
2 |
69.7 |
NA |
| Sam Howell, Jr., North Carolina |
237-348 |
68.1 |
3,586 |
30 |
7 |
79.3 |
146 yds, 5 TDs |
| Phil Jurkovec, Jr., Boston College |
205-336 |
61.0 |
2,558 |
17 |
5 |
71.3 |
150 yds, 3 TDs |
| D’Eriq King, Sr., Miami |
211-329 |
64.1 |
2,686 |
23 |
5 |
78 |
538 yds, 4 TDs |
| Levi Lewis, Sr., UL Lafayette |
177-297 |
59.6 |
2,274 |
19 |
7 |
67.7 |
335 yds, 5 TDs |
| Grayson McCall, So., Coastal Carolina |
172-250 |
68.8 |
2,488 |
26 |
3 |
82.2 |
569 yds, 7 TDs |
| Graham Mertz, So., Wisconsin |
118-193 |
61.1 |
1,238 |
9 |
5 |
60.6 |
2 TDs |
| Bo Nix, Jr., Auburn |
214-357 |
59.9 |
2,415 |
12 |
7 |
73.1 |
388 yds, 7 TDs |
| Michael Penix, Jr., Indiana |
124-220 |
56.4 |
1,645 |
14 |
4 |
67.7 |
2 TDs |
| Kenny Pickett, Sr., Pittsburgh |
203-332 |
61.1 |
2.408 |
13 |
9 |
60.9 |
145 yds, 8 TDs |
| Drew Plitt, Sr., Ball State |
164-250 |
65.6 |
2,154 |
17 |
6 |
62.4 |
49 yds, 4 TDs |
| Michael Pratt, So., Tulane |
140-254 |
55.1 |
1,806 |
20 |
8 |
53.2 |
229 yds, 8 TDs |
| Brock Purdy, Sr., Iowa State |
243-365 |
66.6 |
2,750 |
19 |
9 |
78.8 |
382 yds, 5 TDs |
| Spencer Rattler, So., Oklahoma |
214-317 |
67.5 |
3,031 |
28 |
7 |
81.2 |
160 yds, 6 TDs |
| Desmond Ridder, Sr., Cincinnati |
186-281 |
66.2 |
2,296 |
19 |
6 |
80.9 |
592 yds, 12 TDs |
| Kedon Slovis, Jr., USC |
177-264 |
67.0 |
1,921 |
17 |
7 |
75.7 |
NA |
| Nick Starkel, Sr., San Jose State |
163-254 |
64.2 |
2,174 |
17 |
7 |
68.8 |
NA |
| Carson Strong, So., Nevada |
249-355 |
70.1 |
2,858 |
27 |
4 |
66.1 |
NA |
| Skylar Thompson, Sr., Kansas State |
40-64 |
62.5 |
626 |
4 |
0 |
NA |
3 TDs |
| Malik Willis, Jr., Liberty |
170-265 |
64.2 |
2,260 |
20 |
6 |
78.7 |
944 yds, 14 TDs |
After announcing 32 quarterbacks to watch during the preseason, the Manning Award opted to increase its focus players based on the many outstanding performances during the first half of the year. Fifteen midseason additions were announced on October 22.
2021 Manning Award Watch List Midseason Additions (stats through 10/22)
| Name, Class, School |
Cmp-Att |
Pct. |
Yards |
TD |
INT |
QBR |
Rushing |
| Brennan Armstrong, Jr., Virginia |
210-329 |
63.8 |
2,824 |
19 |
6 |
70.1 |
78 yards, 3 TDs |
| Gerry Bohanon, Jr., Baylor |
114-173 |
65.9 |
1563 |
12 |
1 |
76.6 |
141 yards, 6 TDs |
| Jake Haener, Sr., Fresno State |
179-264 |
67.8 |
2,326 |
20 |
6 |
64.3 |
41 yards, 3 TDs |
| Sam Hartman, So., Wake Forest |
116-184 |
63.0 |
1,615 |
14 |
3 |
79.9 |
125 yards, 3 TDs |
| KJ Jefferson, So., Arkansas |
100-161 |
62.1 |
1,463 |
11 |
3 |
72.6 |
386 yards, 5 TDs |
| Max Johnson, So., LSU |
149-243 |
61.3 |
1,863 |
20 |
4 |
65.1 |
NA |
| Devin Leary, So., N.C. State |
140-208 |
67.3 |
1,534 |
15 |
2 |
74.9 |
1 TD |
| Tanner Mordecai, Jr., SMU |
187-263 |
71.1 |
2,320 |
29 |
7 |
70 |
185 yards, 2 TDs |
| Chris Reynolds, Sr., Charlotte |
106-162 |
65.4 |
1,326 |
13 |
6 |
67 |
199 yards, 3 TDs |
| Will Rogers, So., Mississippi State |
250-339 |
73.7 |
2,162 |
14 |
5 |
67.5 |
NA |
| C.J. Stroud, Fr., Ohio State |
104-157 |
66.2 |
1,699 |
18 |
3 |
89.7 |
NA |
| Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Sr., UCLA |
101-166 |
60.8 |
1,419 |
13 |
2 |
76.7 |
329 yards, 5 TDs |
| Payton Thorne, So., Michigan State |
112-183 |
61.2 |
1701 |
15 |
4 |
73.5 |
86 yards, 2 TDs |
| Bryce Young, So., Alabama |
156-224 |
69.6 |
2,082 |
24 |
3 |
87.5 |
NA |
| Bailey Zappe, Sr. Western Kentucky |
208-297 |
70.0 |
2,632 |
26 |
4 |
79.9 |
30 yards, 1 TD |
The additions to the Watch List came from eight different conferences with the SEC leading the way with four quarterbacks. The ACC had three while the Big Ten and Conference USA had two each. The newcomers included four seniors, three juniors, seven sophomores and one freshman.
