COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler and Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall are on the the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc., along with presenting sponsor A. O. Smith Corporation announced Tuesday.
All 10 FBS conferences as well as a football independent are represented on the list, rounding out this season’s list at 48 of the nation’s leading quarterbacks.
Rattler threw for 3,026 yards and 18 touchdowns a season ago while completing 66 percent of his passes in his first season with the Gamecocks.
In Conway, McCall is coming off a 2022 campaign where he earned an unprecedented third consecutive Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year award.
Last season, McCall’s 24 touchdowns to two interceptions ratio was among the leaders in all of FBS, while he also threw a touchdown pass in 23-straight games dating back two years. He also threw for over 245 yards in eight of 11 games played this year and had three touchdown tosses in six different games on the season.
The preseason Watch List, 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. The award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. This year’s watch list was selected based on career player performance and expectations heading into the 2023 college football season.
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.