University of Massachusets Athletics
Watson III Placed On Davey O’Brien Great 8 Quarterback List
September 08, 2026 | Football
Pop Watson III totaled 197 passing yards on 19-for-22 night with three touchdowns.
FORT WORTH, Texas – Senior quarterback William "Pop" Watson III was selected to the Davey O'Brien Great 8 quarterbacks list for the first week of the 2026 regular season, as announced by the Davey O'Brien Foundation.
The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week, tabbed from the Great 8 list, will be revealed Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT.
Leading UMass to a 37-21 win at Big Ten foe Rutgers on September 3, Watson III totaled 197 passing yards on an efficient 19-for-22 night (86.36%) while throwing for three touchdowns, including a 31-yard strike to Joseph Griffin Jr.
Watson III also rushed six times for 40 yards (6.7 yards per rush) and did not take a sack as the Minutemen snapped a 16-game losing streak and beat a current P4 opponent for the first time since joining FBS.
Watson III became the first UMass quarterback with three passing touchdowns and an 80% completion rate in a game in the FBS era, and the first since current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen in 2008. The win was the first for UMass since beating Wagner on October 26, 2024, and marked the program's first FBS win since winning at Army on Oct. 28, 2023.
The Davey O'Brien Foundation was created in 1977 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary season this year. The National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981.
Over its time, the Davey O'Brien Foundation has given away more than $1.4 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.
In 1938, O'Brien, who wore No. 8 as a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
Davey O'Brien Great 8: Week One
The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week, tabbed from the Great 8 list, will be revealed Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT.
Leading UMass to a 37-21 win at Big Ten foe Rutgers on September 3, Watson III totaled 197 passing yards on an efficient 19-for-22 night (86.36%) while throwing for three touchdowns, including a 31-yard strike to Joseph Griffin Jr.
Watson III also rushed six times for 40 yards (6.7 yards per rush) and did not take a sack as the Minutemen snapped a 16-game losing streak and beat a current P4 opponent for the first time since joining FBS.
Watson III became the first UMass quarterback with three passing touchdowns and an 80% completion rate in a game in the FBS era, and the first since current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen in 2008. The win was the first for UMass since beating Wagner on October 26, 2024, and marked the program's first FBS win since winning at Army on Oct. 28, 2023.
The Davey O'Brien Foundation was created in 1977 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary season this year. The National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981.
Over its time, the Davey O'Brien Foundation has given away more than $1.4 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.
In 1938, O'Brien, who wore No. 8 as a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
Davey O'Brien Great 8: Week One
- Trinidad Chambliss – Ole Miss
- Mason Heintschel – Pitt
- Hauss Hejny – Colorado State
- Sam Leavitt – LSU
- Jayden Maiava – USC
- Darian Mensah – Miami
- Dante Moore – Oregon
- William "Pop" Watson III – Massachusetts
Players Mentioned
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