Manning Award

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Manning Award
Awarded forThe collegiate American football quarterback adjudged to be the best in the United States
CountryUnited States
Presented bySugar Bowl Committee
History
First winnerMatt Leinart
Most winsDeshaun Watson (2)
Most recentFernando Mendoza, Indiana
Websiteallstatesugarbowl.org/sports/2022/4/7/manning-award.aspx

The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that includes each candidate's postseason-bowl performance in its balloting.[1]

The award is named in honor of former University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) quarterback Archie Manning and his quarterback sons Peyton and Eli. Archie was also the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers, and Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). Peyton was a star quarterback at the University of Tennessee as well as with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos of the NFL. Eli was also a star quarterback at Ole Miss and was the quarterback of the NFL's New York Giants. Both Peyton and Eli were All-America selections during their college careers and both led their respective professional teams to 2 Super Bowl championships (Peyton with the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI and with the Broncos in Super Bowl 50, and Eli with the New York Giants in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI). Both won the Super Bowl MVP award, Eli twice. Archie was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

Each of the award winners has gone on to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, except Colt McCoy, who won the award following the 2009 season and was a third-round selection, and Stetson Bennett, who went in the 4th round. Deshaun Watson is the only player to win the award twice, for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Winners

Winners (from left) Vince Young, Colt McCoy, and Baker Mayfield
SeasonPlayerTeamRef.
2004Matt LeinartUSC[1]
2005Vince YoungTexas[1]
2006JaMarcus RussellLSU[1]
2007Matt RyanBoston College[1]
2008Tim TebowFlorida[1]
2009Colt McCoyTexas (2)[1]
2010Cam NewtonAuburn[1]
2011Robert Griffin IIIBaylor[1]
2012Johnny ManzielTexas A&M[1]
2013Jameis WinstonFlorida State[1]
2014Marcus MariotaOregon[1]
2015Deshaun WatsonClemson[1]
2016Deshaun Watson (2)Clemson (2)[1]
2017Baker MayfieldOklahoma[1]
2018Kyler MurrayOklahoma (2)[1]
2019Joe BurrowLSU (2)[2]
2020Mac JonesAlabama[3]
2021Bryce YoungAlabama (2)[1]
2022Stetson BennettGeorgia[1]
2023Jayden DanielsLSU (3)[4]
2024Cam WardMiami (FL)[5]
2025Fernando MendozaIndiana[6]

Footnotes

  1. Manning Award Archived 2009-07-20 at the Wayback Machine. Allstate Sugar Bowl official website. Retrieved August 8, 2011]
  2. "Joe Burrow adds Manning Award to 2019 hardware haul". nbcsports.com. 29 January 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  3. Team, WDSU Digital (January 19, 2021). "Mac Jones Follows National Championship by Winning Manning Award". WDSU.
  4. "Jayden Daniels Becomes Third LSU Quarterback to Win Manning Award". Allstate Sugar Bowl official website. 23 January 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  5. "Miami's Cam Ward wins the Manning Award as top college QB, says it can help him prepare for NFL". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  6. "Indiana's Fernando Mendoza Wins 2025 Manning Award".