Notre Dame's offensive resurgence under first-year coach Charlie Weis has turned heads in Brady Quinn's direction - so much so that the Walter Camp Football Foundation named the junior Irish quarterback as one of five finalists for its 2005 Player of the Year award Wednesday.
Quinn joins USC running back Reggie Bush, Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk, USC quarterback Matt Leinart and Texas quarterback Vince Young in the group of finalists for an award voted on by 119 Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors.
The award recipient will be announced at 6 p.m., Dec. 8, on ESPN.
The Foundation will present the trophy to the winner at its national awards banquet on Feb. 11, 2006.
Quinn and coaches could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Quinn leads all of the nation's quarterbacks with 32 touchdown passes, more than both Leinart (24) and Young (23). He has thrown for a school-record 3,633 yards, averaging 330.3 yards per game.
Notre Dame's scoring average increased by more than 14 points this season, from 24.1 in 2004 to 38.2 points per game this season. Under Weis' tutelage, Quinn also has thrown just seven interceptions and accumulated four 400-yard passing performances in 11 games.
Leinart received the Walter Camp Player of the Year award last season, and he also went on to win the Heisman Trophy.
