Finalists named for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Tuesday

More times than not, college football teams are led by experienced quarterbacks, hoping to win a national championship before graduating. The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award celebrates those quarterbacks, celebrating the top senior or upperclassman at the position.

On Tuesday, the finalists for the award were revealed. Previously having 10 names still in contention to win the award, the list was cut down to five names. All have been multi-year starters with their respective programs and three were in the transfer portal at one point or another.

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Finalist for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

• Stetson Bennett, Georgia
• Max Duggan, TCU
• Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
• Bo Nix, Oregon
• CJ Stroud, Ohio State

Five names were cut from contention: Wake Forest‘s Sam Hartman, Kentucky‘s Will Levis, Mississippi State‘s Will Rogers, UCLA‘s Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Alabama‘s Bryce Young.

Two SEC quarterbacks feature

While Young is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, the two quarterbacks that have stood out this season in the SEC come from the East. Bennett has been playing at a high level for Georgia for a second consecutive season now, winning a national championship. As for Hooker, he has propelled Tennessee into the national conversation.

Bennett is currently second in the conference in passing yards, while Hooker is just a spot behind. The Bulldogs’ signal-caller is behind by 10 touchdowns, as Josh Heupel’s offense is a bit more reliant on the pass game.

Max Duggan, CJ Stroud recruited by respective programs

The transfer portal is such a major part of college football these days, especially with the quarterback position. Players are consistently moving from program to program, hoping to find playing time.

Duggan and Stroud do not fall into that category, still playing with the school they originally signed their National Letter of Intent with.

Stroud has been Ohio State’s starter before, excelling under head coach Ryan Day. He leads the Big Ten in passing at the time of posting and is miles ahead when it comes to touchdowns, having 34 with two games remaining.

Duggan was not even named TCU’s starter to begin the year, with Chandler Morris winning the job. Due to injury, the senior came into the game against Colorado and has not looked back since. His leadership currently has the Horned Frogs on pace to make the College Football Playoff.

Bo Nix resurgence out West

Nix has embraced what he was while at Auburn. There were jokes and memes made about his play, being wildly inconsistent against SEC opponents. Heading out west to play with Oregon and Dan Lanning, Nix has become one of the top quarterbacks in the country and a serious dark horse for the Heisman Trophy.

Career highs in passing yards and touchdowns have already been smashed and he is on pace to do so with completion percentage. Despite Oregon’s loss on Saturday, they still have a shot at a Pac-12 championship. And a lot of it has to do with Nix’s elite play.