Tag: Golden Arm Award

Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard makes Top 25 for Golden Arm Award

Obviously, he’s doing something right.

While some Notre Dame fans want [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] replaced as the Irish’s starting quarterback, he clearly hasn’t been that bad. Otherwise, this post wouldn’t exist.

Leonard has been listed among the Top 25 for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is given to college football’s best upperclassman quarterback. He, of course, was named to the preseason watch list for the award along with 62 other quarterbacks. A win would mark the third for an Irish quarterback after [autotag]Brady Quinn[/autotag] in 2006 and [autotag]Tony Rice[/autotag] in 1989.

Another quarterback who made the cut, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, faced the Irish in their last game and lost. The Irish will be facing one other quarterback later on who made the cut, and that’s Georgia Tech’s Haynes King.

As long as Leonard continues to run the football with regularity, fans will continue to call for someone who mostly throws it. But Leonard has merited award consideration, so exactly how a rough a spot are the Irish in with him?

Here’s to Leonard continuing to prove his doubters wrong.

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Drew Allar makes top 25 cut for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list

Penn State has never had a player win this national passing award. Can Drew Allar be the first?

Penn State quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] remains on the watch list for this year’s Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after the watch list was trimmed to the top 25 candidates.

Joining Allar among the 25 remaining players on the Golden Arm watch list include fellow Big Ten quarterbacks Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Billy Edwards Jr. (Maryland), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), Will Howard (Ohio State), and Kurtis Rourke (Indiana).

Allar has helped guide Penn State to a 5-0 start to the season. Through the first five games of the season, Allar has completed 70.9% of his pass attempts (73-of-103) for 1,101 yards and 9 touchdowns with just one interception. His passer rating of 187.56 is the second-best in the Big Ten as the Nittany Lions go into a big road test this coming week at USC.

Penn State has never had a player win the Golden Arm Award, which was first presented in 1987 to Syracuse’s Don McPherson. Last year’s winner of the award was LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. The most recent player from the Big Ten to win the award was Connor Cook of Michigan State in 2015. Other notable past winners of the Golden Arm Award include Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh (2021), Joe Burrow of LSU (2019), Marcus Mariota of Oregon (2014), Matt Ryan of Boston College (2007), Eli Manning of Ole Miss (2003), and Peyton Manning of Tennessee (1997). In 1994, Penn State’s Kerry Collins was beat out for the award by Alabama’s Jay Barker.

The winner of this year’s Golden Arm award will be presented on December 6.

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Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard makes Golden Arm Award Watch List

Nice honor for Riley.

Notre Dame has had a trend for most of this decade of bringing in transfer upperclassmen to be the quarterback for the upcoming season. That will happen again in 2024 with former Duke quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag]. All indications are that he will have a fine season for the Irish, and we just got one more of those.

Leonard is one of 63 quarterbacks who has been named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List. This award is given to the best upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Leonard getting the hardware would make it the third such instance for an Irish quarterback, joining [autotag]Tony Rice[/autotag] in 1989 and [autotag]Brady Quinn[/autotag] in 2006.

Leonard also has been named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is given to college football’s best player and has been won by Irish players seven times. Simply put, he will be counted on heavily in 2024, so we’ll see how well he deals with that pressure.

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Drake Maye named finalist for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

UNC quarterback Drake Maye, who just enjoyed his second 400-passing yard performance in three games, is a finalist for yet another award.

It seems with every passing game, UNC quarterback Drake Maye does something else to amaze the college football world.

First, it was a 400-yard passing game against a stout Minnesota defense. Then, it was a left-handed touchdown throw against Pitt. Most recently, it was a 442-passing yard performance vs. Syracuse on Saturday.

Maye was a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, but slipped further down the contention list with average performances in the first couple weeks. His recent play, however, has likely shot him back up that list.

There’s another list Maye finds himself on – the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Watch List.

Maye, along with the likes of Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Florida State’s Jordan Travis, was recently named one of the 25 finalists for the Golden Arm Award. This is given annually to the nation’s top upperclassman quarterback – Maye is a redshirt sophomore.

The statistical highlight of Maye’s game this year is completion percentage, as he ranks 13th in the nation with a 72.1% mark. He’s also 20th in the nation with 1,629 passing yards, which is just two yards behind Georgia Tech’s Haynes King, yet another Golden Arm finalist, for the ACC lead.

Maye and the Tar Heels go up against another Golden Arm finalist in Miami (FL) quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. The Hurricanes lost to UNC’s kryptonite, Georgia Tech, last night on a King touchdown throw with time expiring.

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How Payton Thorne can win the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (and maybe the Heisman)

Is a special season brewing for Payton Thorne?

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Foundation released its preseason watch list on Wednesday. Among the quarterbacks listed was recently named Auburn starting signal caller [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag]. 

After coming to Auburn as the favorite to quarterback the team in 2023, Thorne struggled a bit in spring and fall camp, allowing [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] to push the quarterback competition all the way up to mid-August before he eventually won the job last Thursday.

Thorne spoke to the media for the first time since being named QB1 on Wednesday. He seems confident in his growth within the offense. 

“I think I’m an accurate quarterback… I feel like when we’ve been going fast in my past [in the] two-minute drill, I feel like we were efficient doing that,” Thorne said. “With the up-tempo stuff, I feel like that was a plus in my game the last two years. Just seeing defenses, being able to think quick and process quickly is definitely something you have to do in this offense and I feel like I’m able to do that. Now [it’s] about going out and executing.”

Thorne will need to go out and execute at a high rate frequently this year if he hopes to win the Golden Arm Award, which is given to the top upperclassman quarterback in college football. The watchlist includes 47 other names from across the NCAA, including Heisman favorites like [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Quinn Ewers[/autotag], and old friend [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag]. 

Thorne’s path to winning the Golden Arm will undoubtedly be difficult (he is currently +20000 to win the Heisman on Fanduel), but as NBA legend Kevin Garnett once said, “anything is possible.” If he can accomplish these four things, he’s got a chance.

Georgia’s Stetson Bennett among Golden Arm award contenders

Who are the top five remaining contenders to win the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award?

Who are the top five remaining contenders to win the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award? Georgia’s Stetson Bennett is among the five finalists.

Former Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett won the Golden Arm award in 2021. The Golden Arm award is given annually to the nation’s best upperclassmen quarterback.

No Georgia quarterback has ever won the award since it began recognizing players in 1987. Who are the top five finalists?

This Gators quarterback makes top 25 for Golden Arm Award

Emory Jones makes the latest cut for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Florida’s Emory Jones is one of four quarterbacks from the Southeastern Conference to make the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 25.

A selection committee of journalists, commentators, announcers and former players narrowed things down from an initial watchlist of 63 quarterbacks on Friday. Jones is joined by JT Daniels (Georgia), Connor Bazelak (Mizzou) and Matt Corrall (Ole Miss) in the top 25.

“The Golden Arm Award recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set graduate with their class,” according to the foundation’s website.

Alabama‘s Bryce Young will almost certainly be on this list as an upperclassman but other SEC quarterbacks get the spotlight this year. Tennessee‘s Hendon Hooker and Auburn‘s Bo Nix were on the initial watchlist, but aren’t listed in the latest cut.

Jones had thrown two interceptions in his first two starts for the Gators this year, but he picked things up against Alabama and Tennessee. He brought home SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Volunteers and seemingly put an end to the so-called quarterback controversy in Gainesville.

Danny Wuerfel is Florida’s only Golden Arm winner to date and Kyle Trask placed second last year.

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Gators QB on Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

Kyle Trask was a finalist last year and now Emory Jones begins his quest for the Golden Arm Award.

Florida redshirt junior quarterback Emory Jones is on the watchlist for the 2021 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Upperclassmen set to graduate are eligible for the award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Foundation released a watchlist of 63 players on Thursday.

After three years in the reserve role, Jones is getting the starting nod in 2021. He completed 18 passes on 32 attempts for 221 yards and two touchdowns last season in appearances across nine games. He added 217 yards on the ground on 32 attempts.

Jones is one of six SEC quarterbacks on the list, joining Georgia‘s J.T. Daniels, Missouri’s Connor Bazelak, Tennessee‘s Hendon Hooker, Auburn’s Bo Nix and Matt Corral from Ole Miss.

Florida has had one Golden Arm winner since its inception in 1987. Danny Wuerffel won the award in 1996 and more recently Kyle Trask was a finalist just last year.

A committee of journalists, commentators, announcers and former players will decide the semi-finalists, finalists and winner. The award will be presented this year on Dec. 10 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore by Johnny Unitas Jr.

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Quarterback Sam Ehlinger named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm watchlist

Senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger joins two other Big 12 passers on Johnny Unitas watchlist. Looking to become the second Longhorn to win it.

Stop me if you have heard this before but Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger has been added to a preseason watch list. Yes, indeed after being named to the the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, Manning and others you can add the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watchlist.

Texas Tech’s Alan Bowman and Baylor’s Charlie Brewer join Ehlinger as the only Big 12 passers to make the watch list. In a press release from Texas Athletics a list of the accolades for Ehlinger over the past two seasons show how good he has been.

Ehlinger, an Austin native, has started all 27 games for UT over the past two seasons and leads all active FBS quarterbacks in completions (571), attempts (879), passing yards (6,955), total offense (8,100) and total touchdowns (80) since the start of the 2018 season. He also ranks second among active FBS quarterbacks in touchdown passes (57) and fifth in completion percentage (65.0) during that stretch. Ehlinger is the only FBS player to account for at least 50 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons.

The award was first presented in 1987 with Don McPherson of Syracuse being the first recipient. In the 33 year history, five times a Big 12 quarterback has been given the award. Colt McCoy is the only Texas quarterback to earn this honor. Last season Joe Burrow walked away with the honor of being associated with a legendary quarterback in Johnny Unitas.

In 2017 Mason Rudolph of Oklahoma State was the winner of the award under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. As Ehlinger enters his senior season that kicks off September 12th against UTEP, expectations are high. The senior quarterback hopes to pick up the accolades as the looks to dethrone the Sooners as top dog in the conference.