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NEW ORLEANS - Maryland's Danny O'Brien was named to the watch list Monday for the Manning Award which honors the top quarterback in the country.

For O'Brien, the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and a 2011 consensus preseason first team all-league pick, it marks his third appearance on a national award watch list (also Davey O'Brien and Maxwell).

The sophomore from Kernersville, N.C., saw action in all 13 games last season, posting a 7-3 mark as a starter. He ranked fifth in the FBS among freshmen in passing efficiency (134.5 rating) and threw for 2,438 yards, the sixth-best effort for a first-year player in ACC history.

O'Brien is one of 31 players on the Manning Award preseason list and the only one from the ACC.

The list of 10 finalists will be released on Monday, Nov. 28. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates' bowl performances in its balloting.