The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced the first two members of its annual Watch List on Friday. The Watch List will be announced by conference in conjunction with each league's media days. The first two Watch Listers are Ryan Aplin from Arkansas State and Blaine Gautier from Louisiana in the Sun Belt Conference. The overall Watch List will include 25 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2012 season. The winner will be announced after the bowls in January and will be honored at a ceremony in New Orleans.
The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates' bowl performances in its balloting.
Aplin was the Sun Belt's Player of the Year in 2011 after completing 63.9 percent (304-of-476) of his passes for 3,588 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also led the Red Wolves in rushing with 588 yards and 10 touchdowns. Arkansas State won the Sun Belt Championship with a perfect 8-0 league mark while finishing 10-3 overall. The Red Wolves and their senior quarterback open the 2012 season on the road against Oregon on Sept. 1.
The other Sun Belt representative on the Manning Watch List is UL senior signal-caller Blaine Gautier, who led the Ragin' Cajuns to one of their most successful seasons in program history. Gautier connected on 62.8 percent (216-of-344) of his passes for 2,958 yards and 23 touchdowns with just six interceptions. UL recorded a 9-4 record, including its first bowl appearance in four decades, a thrilling victory over San Diego State in the New Orleans Bowl. The Cajuns' nine wins tied a school record and included a perfect 5-0 record at home. Gautier and UL open the 2012 campaign against Lamar on Sept. 1 in Lafayette.
The preseason Watch List recognizes top quarterbacks in the nation based on previous collegiate performance, however, every quarterback in the nation remains eligible for the honor. Additional quarterbacks may be added to the Watch List after the start of the season. The list of 10 finalists will be released on Monday, Nov. 26. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 9.
The Manning Award will be recognizing its ninth winner this year. USC's Matt Leinart was the inaugural winner of the award in 2005, followed by Texas' Vince Young in 2006. Both went on to be top 10 NFL draft picks. In 2007, LSU's JaMarcus Russell earned the award and was the NFL's No. 1 draft pick. Boston College's Matt Ryan claimed the award in 2008 and was drafted No. 3, quickly becoming the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. In 2009, Florida star Tim Tebow earned the honor - he also went on to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. The 2010 winner was Texas signal-caller Colt McCoy, the winningest quarterback in college football history, who was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the draft. Auburn's Cameron Newton earn the award in 2011, prior to being selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. This past season's honoree was Robert Griffin, III, from Baylor, who was also a top NFL draft pick (No. 2 overall by the Washington Redskins).