NEW ORLEANS — UTSA quarterback Owen McCown has been named to the Manning Award Watch List, which features 40 of the nation's top quarterbacks entering the 2026 college football season.
Created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Manning Award honors the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning Family. It is the only major quarterback award that includes candidates' performances during the post season in determining their winner.
"We're excited to kick off another college football season and recognize this outstanding group of quarterbacks on the Manning Award Watch List," Archie Manning said. "Every year, players emerge throughout the season, and that's one of the things that make this award special. We look forward to watching these quarterbacks compete, especially when the stakes are highest in conference championships, bowl games and the College Football Playoff, because the Manning Award honors the best quarterback over the entire season."
Inclusion on the preseason watch list is not required to win the Manning Award. Additional quarterbacks will be added, and a midseason watch list will be released in October. Finalists will be announced prior to the postseason, and the winner will be selected following the postseason by a voting panel that includes national media members, as well as each of the Mannings.
McCown now appears on seven preseason watch lists, as the redshirt senior also is a member of the Davey O’Brien Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Shriners Children’s 1000 lists.
The Rusk, Texas, native completed 277 of 410 passes for 2,995 yards and 30 touchdowns, good for a .667 completion percentage and 149.7 pass efficiency rating as a redshirt junior last fall. He logged a pair of 300-yard passing games, including a career night in the 48-26 home triumph over Tulane by completing 31 of 33 passes for a program-record .939 completion percentage, piling up 370 yards and four TDs. He was named Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week and American Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
The starting QB in each of the past 27 games dating back to the 2023 Frisco Bowl win, McCown will enter his final campaign with 6,861 passing yards at UTSA, which places him third in school history, along with 59 passing touchdowns, a .657 completion percentage and a 143.9 passing efficiency rating — all of which stand second on the program’s career charts.
The Roadrunners will kick off their 16th season of football and seventh under Traylor against UTRGV on Saturday, Sept. 5. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Alamodome. UTSA also will host Colorado State (Sept. 26), South Florida (Oct. 8), Navy (Oct. 17), North Texas (Nov. 14) and Tulsa (Nov. 27 or 28). The Roadrunners will travel to Texas State (Sept. 12), Texas (Sept. 19), Rice (Oct. 3), Tulane (Oct. 24), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 5) and UAB (Nov. 21).
Tickets are on sale by visiting goUTSA.com/tickets or by calling the UTSA Ticket Office at 210-458-UTSA (8872). Current UTSA students receive free admission to all home games by downloading tickets via their Account Manager.
Roadrunners on 2026 Preseason Watch Lists
David Amador II — Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Paul Hornung Award, Shriners Children’s 1000
Bryce Grays — Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
Will Henderson III — Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Shriners Children’s 1000
Owen McCown — Davey O’Brien Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Shriners Children’s 1000
Owen Pewee — Shriners Children’s 1000
AJ Wilson — Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Shriners Children’s 1000
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