July 23, 2015
NEW ORLEANS – Georgia Tech redshirt junior quarterback Justin Thomas is among the 30 quarterbacks named to the 2015 Manning Award Watch List, released Thursday by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
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.
Inclusion on the Watch List is not necessary for the quarterbacks to be selected for the honor. Midseason additions to the Watch List will be announced on October 14. The list of 10 finalists will be released on November 25. The winner will be announced on January 13, 2016.
The ACC leads all FBS conferences with five quarterbacks on the list. Thomas is joined on the list by NC State’s Jacoby Brissett, Miami’s Brad Kaaya, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and North Carolina’s Marquise Williams.
In addition to the Manning Award’s yearly honor, each week during the regular season, eight quarterbacks are recognized as Manning Quarterbacks of the Week. Sixty-two players from 58 different schools were honored during the 2014 season.
It is the fourth preseason watch list for Thomas. Earlier this month, Thomas was named to the watch lists for the Davey O’Brien Award (national quarterback award), Maxwell Award (college player of the year), and Walter Camp Player of the Year.
As one of Tech’s three captains in 2014, the Prattville, Ala., native started all 14 games under center for the Yellow Jackets, leading them to an 11-3 record and the 2014 Capital One Orange Bowl title. The Orange Bowl MVP was named second-team All-ACC by the league’s head coaches and third-team by the media. In 2014, he rushed 190 times for a team- and career-best 1,086 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and eight TDs. He completed 96-of-187 passes (.513) for 1,719 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Georgia Tech opens the 2015 season on Thursday, Sept. 3, against Alcorn State at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports South. Single-game tickets go on sale Friday at 9 a.m. Fans can purchase tickets in person at the Georgia Tech Ticket Office (M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m.), by phone at 888-TECH-TIX, or online at togetherweswarm.com.
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