Mountain West Football: Three QBs Named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

Three senior quarterbacks are named among the best of their class in college football.

Who has the best chance?

Miss anything? Check out the Mountain West Wire watch list tracker.

College football might be in doubt for the fall and the Mountain West has already begun drawing up plans for a spring season, but watch list season continued this afternoon with the release of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list. Given annually to the nation’s best senior quarterback, there are three players from the Mountain West who fit the bill.

Colorado State’s Patrick O’Brien headlines the trio after taking over under less-than-ideal circumstance for the Rams last fall. Though he played in just 11 games, he completed 61.8% of his passes for 2,803 yards and 13 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. O’Brien’s 140.04 passer rating ranked third among eligible players behind San Jose State’s Josh Love and Hawaii’s Cole McDonald.

Air Force quarterback Donald Hammond III also made the list after a dominant run through conference play in 2019, though his eligibility for any season remains in doubt after being found not to be in good standing at the Academy.

Lastly, new San Jose State quarterback Nick Starkel also made the list despite a challenging junior campaign at Arkansas in which he had just seven touchdowns against ten interceptions and averaged only 6.4 yards per attempt. In 19 career games, however, Starkel has completed 57.9% of his 406 attempts for 3,114 yards with 22 touchdowns and 16 picks.

Last year’s Golden Arm Award winner was Louisiana State’s Joe Burrow.

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