Houston quarterback Conner Weigman has landed on the Davey O'Brien Award watch list, giving him his third national award watch list of the month.
The list, announced on August 20, includes 29 other quarterbacks and recognizes the nation’s top quarterback. For Weigman, it’s another sign that his 2025 season has pushed him into national company.
His production last season gives the case plenty of weight. Weigman accounted for 36 total touchdowns, the most in the Big 12 and the seventh-most in the nation.
He also piled up 3,405 offensive yards, which ranks as the 12th most by a Cougar quarterback since 1996, according to Houston Athletics. His 700 rushing yards were the second most by a Houston quarterback since 1996.
He also joined a pretty exclusive group, becoming one of four FBS quarterbacks with at least 25 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in 2025. On top of that, he was a three-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week last season and already appeared on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Maxwell Award watch lists.
The pieces around him help explain why Houston believes Weigman can keep building. Amare Thomas gives him a true No. 1 receiver and is viewed as one of the best wideouts in the conference. Oregon State transfer Trent Walker gives Weigman another trusted target, especially when Houston needs to move the sticks on third down and get closer to the end zone.
Makhi Hughes should also take some of the load off Weigman by handling carries and limiting how often the quarterback has to run. That matters, too, because it could help reduce the injury risk. Up front, Shadre Hurst and Anthony Boswell have both been named to national watch lists and are expected to be major factors in the trenches.
There’s also continuity with Willie Fritz and offensive coordinator Slade Nagle, who already put Weigman through their system in 2025 and now have more time to sharpen his game for the upcoming season.
Compared with some of the other quarterbacks on the Davey O'Brien watch list, Weigman sits somewhere in the middle. Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Marcel Reed and Trinidad Chambliss all passed for more than 3,000 yards, while Weigman finished with 2,705. They also benefit from playing for Texas, Oregon, Texas A&M and Ole Miss.
Still, even if the award doesn’t end up in his hands, Weigman has a chance to show he belongs in the same conversation as the best quarterbacks in the country. His first shot comes September 5 against Oregon State.
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