Brock Vandagriff makes Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

Brock Vandagriff has yet to play a snap as a full-time starting quarterback, but the hype around his Kentucky debut has him being held in high regard nationally.

On Wednesday, Vandagriff was named to the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List. A total of 63 players across all 10 FBS conferences were nominated for the award, which recognizes the “top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.”

The Georgia transfer is one of 10 quarterbacks from the SEC to make the watch list.

.@BrockVandagriff has been named to the Johnny Unitas @GoldenArmAward Watch List.

📰🔗 – https://t.co/zTS6y42iGy pic.twitter.com/BtU1JJDDPm

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 15, 2024

Vandagriff spent the last three seasons at Georgia before jumping to Kentucky. Playing behind Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck pushed him to a backup role on some loaded rosters. But now, he’s ready to make his mark in Lexington.

He won’t be walking into Kentucky’s season opener completely blind though. Vandagriff saw action in eight games as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, going 12-18 through the air for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His best outing actually came against Kentucky in Athens when he went 5-7 for 46 passing yards and a touchdown along with two rushes for 27 yards in a 51-13 win for the Bulldogs.

Vandagriff’s also experienced what it’s like to win at the highest level. He was a member of Georgia’s back-to-back national title runs in 2021 and 2022. Remember, he was a five-star prospect out of high school too — there is clearly talent in him, it just needs to show up on the field in 2024.

His first opportunity to do so is a little over two weeks from today. Kentucky hosts Southern Miss on Saturday, August 31 at Kroger Field. Football time in the Bluegrass is almost here.