The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Updates Watch List and Selection Dates

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation along with presenting sponsor of this prestigious Golden Arm Award, A. O. Smith, released the 2020 Golden Arm Award Watch List on August 11. Today, the Foundation announces additions to the list of top quarterbacks as well as an updated announcement timeline.

The Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the top upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and A. O. Smith. The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the distinguished Golden Arm Award Selection Committee, a group of prominent football journalists, former coaches and players, general managers, commentators, announcers, and other former award recipients.

2020 Golden Arm Award Watch List Presented by A. O. Smith

Jack Abraham, Southern Miss
Jake Bentley, Utah
James Blackman, Florida State
Ian Book, Notre Dame
Alan Bowman, Texas Tech
Myles Brennan, LSU
Charlie Brewer, Baylor
Chase Brice, Duke
Anthony Brown, Oregon
Shane Buechele, SMU
Sean Clifford, Penn State
Jack Coan, Wisconsin
K.J. Costello, Mississippi State
Dustin Crum, Kent State
Malik Cunningham, Louisville
Sam Ehlinger, Texas
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Feleipe Franks, Arkansas
Chase Garbers, California
Jarrett Guarantano, Tennessee
Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
Hendon Hooker, Virginia Tech
Mac Jones, Alabama

D’Eriq King, Miami
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Levi Lewis, Louisiana
Adrian Martinez, Nebraska
David Mills, Stanford
Kellen Mond, Texas A & M
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Patrick O’Brien, Colorado State
Asher O’Hara, Middle Tennessee
Brandon Peters, Illinois
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
Drew Plitt, Ball State
Brock Purdy, Iowa State
Peyton Ramsey, Northwestern
Anthony Russo, Temple
Zach Smith, Tulsa
Nick Starkel, San Jose State
Zac Thomas, Appalachian State
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Kyle Trask, Florida
Brady White, Memphis
Zach Wilson, BYU
Terry Wilson, Kentucky

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Education Foundation’s charitable mission is to promote the game of football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young scholar athletes. Often times college football fans and the media become so enthralled with touchdown passes, elusive runs, ferocious tackles and quarterback sacks that we lose sight of other important matters of college athletics. The Golden Arm Award encapsulates all that is positive in college sports. The award acknowledges performance on the field, but it goes beyond completion percentage and touchdown strikes. The award values character, citizenship, integrity and those who honor the game.

In addition to honoring the top college quarterback, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc., has awarded more than $750,000 in scholarships to scholar-athletes from local area high schools both in Maryland and Kentucky. During one of the most unprecedented years of youth and college athletics, the Foundation remains committed to providing scholarships and financial aid to deserving athletes through 2020.

The namesake of the Golden Arm Award has a storied history. Johnny Unitas was an 18-year veteran of the NFL, who played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards, 290 touchdowns and throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games. The legend continues, this year marks the first time that Johnny Unitas appears in the newly released EA Sports Madden NFL ’21, Madden ’22 and Madden NFL Mobile, along with two other NFL Hall of Famer’s, Vince Lombardi and Barry Sanders.

Sharing a tradition of innovation with Johnny Unitas, who invented football’s two-minute drill, A. O. Smith has been an innovator in its industry for more than a century. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and supports the world’s broadest and deepest line of residential and commercial water heaters, as well as commercial boilers. This single-source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by 80 years of research and innovation.

To learn more about the Golden Arm Award, please visit: Golden Arm Foundation or Golden Arm Award. Additionally, please follow the conversation throughout the college football season on Twitter (@GoldenArmAward) and use the hashtags #GoldenArmAward and #InnovationLeaders.

2020 Golden Arm Award Timeline

August 11, 2020

Golden Arm Award Watch List announcement

October 20, 2020

Golden Arm Award Watch List updates

November 9, 2020

Golden Arm Award Selection Committee to determine Top 15

November 23, 2020

Golden Arm Award Selection Committee to determine Top 10

December 7, 2020

Golden Arm Award Selection Committee to determine Top 5 

December 19, 2020

Conference Championship Games

December 21, 2020

2020 Golden Arm Award Winner announcement

About the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the season’s top upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on and off the field – the award values character, citizenship, integrity and those who honor the game. The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation is an independent, 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization that was founded in 1987 by Hall of Fame quarterback, Johnny Unitas. In addition to honoring a player with the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Foundation has awarded more than $750,000 in scholarships to deserving scholar-athletes from local area high schools both in Maryland and Kentucky and strives to promote the game of football on all levels.

About A. O. Smith

O. Smith Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial water heaters. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and supports the world’s broadest and deepest line of residential and commercial water heaters, as well as commercial boilers. This single source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by 80 years of research and innovation. For the most up-to-date A. O. Smith news, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and visit http://www.hotwater.com/.

Proud Golden Arm Award Sponsors

MedStar Sports Medicine, The Babe Ruth Museum, Century Engineering, Comcast, Dunbar Security Solutions, Dunbar Protective Services, Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, Haddock Investments, Harvey Agency, HMS Insurance Associates, Inc., Milwaukee Tool, PSAV, TRAY, AE2 Creative, Wolf Professional Security, and ZBest Executive & Global Transportation Services.