WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the second day in a row, Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell found himself on a preseason award watch list. As one of the top returning quarterbacks in the nation, O'Connell was named to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Preseason Watch List.
The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. O'Connell was one of five Big Ten quarterbacks to make the preseason watch list.
After being selected to the Maxwell Award Watch List on Monday (July 18), O'Connell landed on another watch list thanks to his stellar 2021 season. He earned Second Team All-Big Ten accolades by the conference coaches and media, the first Purdue quarterback to be named to one of the first two All-Big Ten teams since Kyle Orton in 2004. O'Connell was one of the most accurate QBs in the entire country, completing 71.8 percent of his passes to set a new school record and rank fourth nationally. Despite splitting time at the start of the season, the Long Grove, Illinois, native threw for 3,712 yards (11th nationally) and 28 touchdowns (17th nationally). He produced six 300-yard games for the third-best in a single season and the most by a Boilermaker QB since Curtis Painter in 2007. O'Connell also completed 26.3 passes per game, good for sixth in national rankings.
O'Connell put together some of his best performances when facing elite competition. In games against Top 5 competition (at No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State, at No. 4 Ohio State), O'Connell threw for 1,301 passing yards (433.7 avg.) and completed 110-of-146 pass attempts (.753). For those three games, he secured a 9-0 TD-INT ratio.
O'Connell passed for a career-high 536 yards in the win over No. 3 Michigan State before ending the season with 534 yards against Tennessee in a TransPerfect Music City Bowl victory. He became the only quarterback in Purdue history to produce two 500-yard passing games in a single season, while joining Drew Brees as the only Purdue quarterbacks to record multiple 500-yard games over a career.
Entering his final season as quarterback for the Boilermakers, O'Connell looks to maintain the top marks in program history for career completion percentage (.685) and career passing efficiency (148.2). The sixth-year senior also ranks in the Top 10 of Purdue's career charts for 300-yard games (fifth – 8), touchdown passes (seventh – 43), completions (eighth – 506) and passing yards (eighth – 5,729).
The Purdue quarterback will lead the rest of the Boilermakers against Penn State to kick off the 2022 season (Sept. 1). The Thursday night conference battle is set to begin under the Ross-Ade Stadium lights at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. O'Connell was one of five Big Ten quarterbacks to make the preseason watch list.
After being selected to the Maxwell Award Watch List on Monday (July 18), O'Connell landed on another watch list thanks to his stellar 2021 season. He earned Second Team All-Big Ten accolades by the conference coaches and media, the first Purdue quarterback to be named to one of the first two All-Big Ten teams since Kyle Orton in 2004. O'Connell was one of the most accurate QBs in the entire country, completing 71.8 percent of his passes to set a new school record and rank fourth nationally. Despite splitting time at the start of the season, the Long Grove, Illinois, native threw for 3,712 yards (11th nationally) and 28 touchdowns (17th nationally). He produced six 300-yard games for the third-best in a single season and the most by a Boilermaker QB since Curtis Painter in 2007. O'Connell also completed 26.3 passes per game, good for sixth in national rankings.
O'Connell put together some of his best performances when facing elite competition. In games against Top 5 competition (at No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State, at No. 4 Ohio State), O'Connell threw for 1,301 passing yards (433.7 avg.) and completed 110-of-146 pass attempts (.753). For those three games, he secured a 9-0 TD-INT ratio.
O'Connell passed for a career-high 536 yards in the win over No. 3 Michigan State before ending the season with 534 yards against Tennessee in a TransPerfect Music City Bowl victory. He became the only quarterback in Purdue history to produce two 500-yard passing games in a single season, while joining Drew Brees as the only Purdue quarterbacks to record multiple 500-yard games over a career.
Entering his final season as quarterback for the Boilermakers, O'Connell looks to maintain the top marks in program history for career completion percentage (.685) and career passing efficiency (148.2). The sixth-year senior also ranks in the Top 10 of Purdue's career charts for 300-yard games (fifth – 8), touchdown passes (seventh – 43), completions (eighth – 506) and passing yards (eighth – 5,729).
The Purdue quarterback will lead the rest of the Boilermakers against Penn State to kick off the 2022 season (Sept. 1). The Thursday night conference battle is set to begin under the Ross-Ade Stadium lights at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.