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Jul 22, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virgnia quarterback Chandler Morris answers questions from the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Virginia Football: Chandler Morris Named To The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List

Originally posted on Virginia Cavaliers on SI
By Jackson Caudell | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 12:30 PM ET

Preseason award watchlists continue to come out and today, the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List was released and UVA quarterback Chander Morris made the list.

One of seven ACC quarterbacks on this year’s preseason watch list, Morris was named to the Davey O’Brien Award midseason watch list last in 2024 while playing at North Texas. He started in all 13 games for the Mean Green and quarterbacked the nation’s No. 3 offense in yards per game (488.7). Morris completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns. His 31 TD passes were good for fourth among all players nationally. Morris led the country with four 400-yard passing performances and also set UNT single-season records for passing attempts (512), passing yards per game (314.5), total offense (4,104), and TD responsibility (35).

Last month, Morris was tabbed, which is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.

Compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee, this year’s list includes three dozen candidates who were selected based on previous Division I career player performance as well as expectations heading into the 2025 college football season.

The official Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and will contain active quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List, players honored as weekly Great 8 recipients through the season’s first eight weeks, and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee.

The 35-player Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2025 will be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 28. For the fifth straight year, fan voting on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) will earn players bonus selection committee votes during the semifinalist, finalist and winner voting rounds. First-round fan voting will begin Oct. 28 following the QB Class announcement.

The list of semifinalists selected from the QB class will be named Nov. 12. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later (Nov. 25). The 2025 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be unveiled Dec. 11, live on ESPN during the Home Depot College Football Awards.

Morris has a chance to have a huge season for the Cavaliers and their best quarterback in years.

There is a chance that Morris could in fact be a huge upgrade at the position, but he only has one real season to show for it. Morris only played in five total games during his lone season with Oklahoma and then transferred to TCU. He played in four games for the Horned Frogs in 2021, including a standout performance in an upset win over No. 12 Baylor. Morris was 29-41 for 461 yards and two touchdowns in that game.

He would battle an injury that would limit his playing time in both 2022 (when the Horner Frogs made an appearance in the national championship game) and then in 2023, when he only played in seven games. Morris threw for 1,532 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 66% of his passes. He would then transfer to North Texas, where he would have the most productive season of his collegiate career.

For the Mean Green last season, Morris threw for 3,774 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while completing 63.1% of his passes. He also had 242 yards rushing and four touchdowns. According to PFF, Morris finished as the highest-grade player on the North Texas offense with 78.9 grade in 887 total snaps at quarterback.

This article first appeared on Virginia Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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