PROVO, Utah – BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum was named the 2015 Freshman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Thursday.
The true freshman from Eagle, Idaho, was called upon after starting QB and Heisman hopeful Taysom Hill was injured in the season opener, responding with a pair of Hail Mary victories in the closing seconds of his first two games. He continued his success throughout 2015 with 3,062 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, leading the Cougars to a 9-3 regular season.
“It is a real honor to be recognized by the Touchdown Club of Columbus,” Mangum said. “It’s a privilege to be mentioned among the past recipients of this award. I’m grateful to be a part of this team. We've had a great year and my teammates have made amazing plays all year long.”
Mangum joins a select group of athletes who have received the award including 2014 winner Samaje Perine of Oklahoma and other past winners such as Todd Gurley, Sammy Watkins, Julio Jones and Adrian Peterson.
Becoming the first BYU freshman to throw for more than 3,000 yards, Mangum broke numerous freshman school records including wins as a starter (8), passing yards (3,062), completions (242), attempts (390), touchdown passes (21), 300-yard passing games (4) and consecutive games with a touchdown pass (8).
He is the 13th BYU quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a single season and the first since Max Hall in 2009. He is the only true freshman in the FBS with at least 3,000 passing yards and completion percentage above 60 percent (62.1) and is one of only two true freshman QBs to hit the 3,000 yard mark this year.
Mangum completed one of the most memorable moments of the 2015 college football season in his very first game. In relief of the injured Hill, Mangum completed a 42-yard Hail Mary as time expired to defeat Nebraska 33-28 in Lincoln, snapping the Huskers 29-year unbeaten streak in home openers. He and Hill are the only true freshmen quarterbacks in BYU history to win their first starts, with Mangum defeating Boise State 35-24 with 309 passing yards and two touchdowns, including the 35-yard game winner with under one minute to play.
During the 2015 season, Mangum led BYU to five wins when the team was either trailing or tied in the fourth quarter (Nebraska, Boise State, UConn, East Carolina, Cincinnati). He had multiple TD passes in six games, with a career-best four in the regular-season finale against Utah State.
Mangum will be presented the Freshman of the Year Award on Saturday evening, Feb. 6, 2016, during the 61st Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards ceremony at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in Downtown Columbus. The honor has been given annually since 2001. The Touchdown Club of Columbus names numerous awards including the Sammy Baugh, Woody Hayes and the Archie Griffin awards. For additional information, visit www.tdccolumbus.com.