The Davey O’Brien Foundation committee has selected its Great 8 quarterbacks for the sixth week of the 2026 college football season, according to a report published October 12.
Included in this week's selection is BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who completed 22 of 30 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 rushing yards during a 24-10 victory over Iowa State.
The Week 6 list features Braden Atkinson of Oregon State, who threw for 409 yards and five touchdowns in a 66-14 win over San Diego State. Other honorees include Blake Baker of Louisiana Tech, who recorded 319 passing yards and three touchdowns, and Navy's Jackson Gutierrez, who contributed 232 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a 34-26 comeback win over Tulsa.
Additional quarterbacks named to the Great 8 are Gio Lopez of Wake Forest, LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina, Gunner Stockton of Georgia, and Conner Weigman of Houston. Stockton helped Georgia achieve a 20-17 road win against No. 6 Alabama, while Sellers directed South Carolina to a 38-19 upset over No. 16 Florida.
The Davey O’Brien Foundation was established in 1977 and is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary season. The foundation has provided over $1.4 million in scholarships and university grants to assist student athletes in developing leadership skills. The National Quarterback Award, which is the oldest and most prestigious award for college quarterbacks, was first issued in 1981.
In 1938, Davey O’Brien, who wore No. 8 for TCU, became the first player to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award in a single year. O'Brien was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
Any quarterback named to the Great 8 during the first nine weeks of the season will officially join the Davey O’Brien Midseason Watch List. The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week, which is chosen from the Great 8 list, will be revealed Tuesday at 11 a.m. (CT).
