Murray wins AP player of year; Haskins third

Kyler Murray was named The Associated Press college football Player of the Year, the second straight Oklahoma quarterback and fifth overall to win the award since it was established in 1998.

Murray beat out Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on 56 ballots submitted by AP college football poll voters and announced Thursday. Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. was third.

“It’s humbling and an honor to be named AP Player of the Year, to be mentioned in the same realm as a lot of great players, a lot of hall of famers,” Murray said. “It’s a special deal for me, and hopefully I can continue to make my family and teammates proud.”

Murray received 39 first-place votes and a total of 145 points. Tagovailoa received 13 first-place votes (117 points) and Haskins was listed first on four ballots (55 points).

All three are finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented Saturday night in New York.

Murray also won the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top quarterback at ESPN’s college football awards show in Atlanta on Thursday night.

Murray joins Baker Mayfield (2017), Josh Heupel (2000), Jason White (2003) and Sam Bradford (2008) as previous winners from Oklahoma. No other school has had more than two players win AP Player of the Year.

Murray, a 5-foot10, 195-pound junior from Allen, Texas, won the award in his final year as a college athlete.