Baltimore, Md. —The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation alongside presenting partner, A. O. Smith, has pared-down the original 2024 Watch List to the nation’s Top 25 quarterbacks. The quarterbacks that remain in the hunt for this season’s coveted Golden Arm Award represent 10 conferences across the country.
The Golden Arm Award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the distinguished Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, and former players. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on-and-off the field.
2024 Golden Arm Award Top 25 Presented by A. O. Smith
Drew Allar, Penn State
Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Rocco Becht, Iowa State
Carson Beck, Georgia
Brady Cook, Missouri
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Noah Fifita, Arizona
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Seth Henigan, Memphis
Will Howard, Ohio State
Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Fernando Mendoza, Cal
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Behren Morton, Texas Tech
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Tyler Shough, Louisville
Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Cam Ward, Miami
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.
This year’s award winner will be presented the Golden Arm Award trophy at the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award celebration the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland on Friday, December 6, 2024.
Giving life to the commitment to give back, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and presenting sponsor A. O. Smith continue to promote football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young scholar athletes.
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 150 years. What began as a small machine shop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1874, has evolved into a leading global water technology company committed to improving the lives of its customers by ensuring access to clean, safe, hot water.
In addition, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award has been naming a Player of the Week each week to showcase their remarkable talents. This recognition is a testament to the player’s outstanding performance where he showcased outstanding skill, leadership, and poise on the field. Their impressive performances demonstrated their ability to excel under pressure, leading a game-winning drive in the final minutes.
2024 Golden Arm Award Player of the Week:
Week 1: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Week 2: Cade Klubnik, Clemson Week 3: Jalen Milroe, Alabama Week 4: Cam Ward, Miami
Week 5: Jalen Milroe, Alabama
