MANHATTAN, Kan. – With fall camp right around the corner, Kansas State senior quarterback Skylar Thompson earned his third appearance on a watch list as he is one of 30 quarterbacks nationally to be named a preseason candidate for the Manning Award, the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced.
It is the third preseason watch list honor for Thompson, who is a candidate for the Wuerffel Trophy – which honors community service – and the Maxwell Award – which goes to the college football player of the year.
Thompson is one of four Big 12 signal callers on the Manning Award watch list, joining Baylor’s Charlie Brewer, Texas’ Sam Ehlinger and Iowa State’s Brock Purdy. It is the third time a K-State quarterback is up for the award, as current Wildcat quarterbacks coach Collin Klein was one of 10 finalists in 2012 and Jake Waters was a preseason candidate in 2014.
Thompson begins his final campaign in Manhattan ranked in the top 10 in K-State history in 10 career categories. He is looking to become the first player in school history to throw for 6,000 career yards and rush for 1,000 career yards, needing 1,605 yards through the air this season to accomplish the feat. He is one of only four in school history to reach the 4,000/1,000 yard mark, but he was the first to do so prior to the end of his junior season.
A product of Independence, Missouri, Thompson produced a career season in 2019, setting career highs in passing yards (2,315), passing touchdowns (12), rushing yards (405) and rushing touchdowns (11) en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades, the first Wildcat signal caller to earn postseason accolades from the league’s coaches since Waters in 2014.
The Manning Award is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ bowl performances in its balloting. Ten finalists will be selected prior to the postseason and the winner will be announced following the College Football Playoff National Championship.
– k-statesports.com –
RYAN LACKEY
Assistant Athletics Director for Communications