Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee Narrows Watch List to Top 25

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation alongside presenting partner, A. O. Smith, has pared down the original 2023 Watch List to the nation’s Top 25 quarterbacks.

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.

The 2023 Golden Arm Award Watch List presented by A. O. Smith includes the following:

Jayden Daniels, LSU

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Quinn Ewers, Texas

Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame

Will Howard, Kansas State

KJ Jefferson, Arkansas

Devin Leary, Kentucky

Riley Leonard, Duke

Drake Maye, North Carolina

Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Joe Millton III, Tennessee

Bo Nix, Oregon

Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Michael Pratt, Tulane

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

Austin Reed, Western Kentucky

Garrett Shrader, Syracuse

Kedon Slovis, BYU

Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

Jordan Travis, Florida State

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami

Cam Ward, Washington State

Caleb Williams, USC

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 2023 award winner will be presented the Golden Arm Award trophy by The Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation President, John Unitas, Jr., as well as other notable attendees at the Golden Arm Award banquet and celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

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. A. O. Smith is committed to creating innovative solutions that set new standards for their industry.

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 and to see the Top 25 reveal, visit 2023 Top 25 Reveal.