Harrell to Crabtree Combination Continues to Draw National Attention

Junior quarterback and freshman receiver named semifinalists for two prestigious awards.

Athletics

Written by Chris Cook

Texas Tech football player

Freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree's first collegiate season has drawn him national attention.

Texas Tech junior quarterback Graham Harrell and freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree have been named semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and the Biletnikoff Award respectively. The O’Brien award is presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback, the Beletnikoff Award to the nation’s top receiver.

Harrell is the fourth Red Raider quarterback since 2000 named to the semifinalist list. The others are Kliff Kingsbury in 2002, B.J. Symons in 2003 and Cody Hodges in 2005.

Directing the nation’s top offense, Harrell, a junior from Ennis, is only the fifth player in NCAA history to record multiple 4,000-yard seasons.

Crabtree’s performance in his first collegiate season captivated the college football world as he amassed NCAA records in freshman receiving yards and freshman receiving touchdowns.

The selection committee for the O’Brien looks at each candidate's quarterback skills, athletic ability, academics, reputation as a team player, character, leadership and sportsmanship. The combination of votes from the selection committee and fan vote will determine the finalists as well as the winner this season, with five percent of the total vote coming from dedicated fans.

Balloting for three finalists closes Nov. 18. The three finalists will be in attendance in Orlando, Fla., where The O’Brien winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN Dec. 6.

Texas Tech football player

Junior Graham Harrell is only the fifth player in NCAA history to record multiple 4,000-yard seasons.

Fans are encouraged to vote for semifinalist candidates once daily on the O’Brien’s web site. The voting will continue throughout the semifinalist and finalist rounds until The O’Brien winner is announced, with five percent of the final tally coming directly from the fan vote.

The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., the creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award, is an independent, charitable organization founded in 1994. A number of people established the award and many more have contributed to its development as one of the most prominent in college football. The idea of a college receiver’s award was not a novel one, as a number of organizations throughout America considered establishing it.

More than 50 prominent journalists, commentators, announcers and former players select the winner through a process audited by a CPA firm. The award will also be presented on The Home Depot College Awards Show on ESPN.

Visit the official Texas Tech football Web site.

Jan 15, 2020