Alabama’s Bryce Young Wins 2021 Davey O’Brien Award

AP Photo/John Bazemore, File

Alabama sophomore Bryce Young was named the winner of the 2021 Davey O’Brien Award on Thursday. The award is given annually to the best quarterback in college football.

Young beat some stiff competition in Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

In his first season as Bama’s starting quarterback, Young enjoyed a huge statistical year, completing 68.0 percent of his passes and throwing for 4,322 yards, 43 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2021.

Young has also led the Crimson Tide to a 12-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff bracket.

After seeing very little action last season in a backup capacity behind Mac Jones, Young acclimated quickly to the starting job and helped Alabama maintain its status as one of the top teams in the nation.

Young has enjoyed no shortage of individual highlights this season, including throwing for five touchdowns in wins over Southern Mississippi, New Mexico State and Arkansas.

He led the Crimson Tide to 49-9 demolition of a talented Mississippi State team in October, throwing for 348 yards, four touchdowns and no picks in the win.

However, Young squashed any doubt that he will sweep awards season this year after accounting for 461 yards (421 passing, 40 rushing) and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in a 41-24 win over previously undefeated Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.

While Alabama has had some excellent quarterbacks over the years, Young is only the second Tide signal-caller to win the Davey O’Brien Award, joining Jones, who won it last year.

Young’s season isn’t quite over yet either, as he is preparing to face Cincinnati in the CFP semifinals on Dec. 31.