Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield may be solidly on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy, but he may also have a decent chance of taking home some other hardware this award season as well. Mayfield was named one of the five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award today.
The Golden Arm Award is given to the nation’s top quarterback in his senior or fourth year of college football (freshmen and sophomores are not eligible), and this year’s crop of finalists is an impressive one. In addition to Mayfield, Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph, Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett, Penn State’s Trace McSorley, and NC State’s Ryan Finley were named finalists for the award.
#Sooners closing in on awards.
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 14, 2017
Mayfield a finalist for the Burlsworth & Unitas. Andrews a semifinalist for the Mackey. #BuiltDifferent
More ➡️ https://t.co/KjqxXNAUze pic.twitter.com/JDUrSAmUrJ
Congratulations to @JT_theQB4th for being selected as one of the Top 5 finalists for the Johnny Unitas @GoldenArmAward!https://t.co/AnAFEQaZp1 pic.twitter.com/ctd1ciNz8x
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 14, 2017
Congrats to Mason Rudolph on being one of five candidates remaining in contention for the Johnny Unitas @GoldenArmAward! #okstate pic.twitter.com/mGHF0FfFgG
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) November 14, 2017
QB @McSorley_IX has been named 1 of 5 finalists for the Johnny Unitas #GoldenArm Award.#WeAre https://t.co/m2mCBvgUXt
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) November 14, 2017
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson won the award a year ago. It could be a coincidence, but the award has gone to a quarterback playing in the College Football Playoff each of the past three seasons. Oregon’s Marcus Mariota won the award in 2014 and Michigan State’s Connor Cook won the award in 2015. Mayfield appears to be in a position to keep that trend going if he is the favorite to win this year’s Golden Arm Award.
The last Oklahoma player to win the award, and the only one thus far, was Jason White in 2004. No player from Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State or NC State has won the award, which was first presented in 1987 to Don McPherson of Syracuse.