Awards Season Ramping Up: Mac Jones Named Top-10 Candidate for Unitas Golden Arm

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones was named a top-10 candidate fo the Johnny Unitas Golden Award Award

Mac Jones was named a top-10 candidate fo the Johnny Unitas Golden Award Award, which goes to the top upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.

A quarterback has to be a senior or in his fourth year to be considered. 

The top-10 features:

- Ian Book, Notre Dame
- Sam Ehlinger, Texas
- Justin Fields, Ohio State
- Mac Jones, Alabama
- D'Eriq King, Miami
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
- Kellen Mond, Texas A & M
- Brock Purdy, Iowa State
- Kyle Trask, Florida
- Zach Wilson, BYU

Alabama has won the award twice, Jay Barker in 1994, and AJ McCarron in 2013. 

Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievement, and leadership qualities.

Through eight games this season, the redshirt junior has totaled 2,728 yards and 23 touchdowns while sporting a 76.2 completion percentage. 

His passing yards are the most by any Alabama quarterback through the first eight games of a season in program history, surpassing Tua Tagovailoa’s previous program mark of 2,584 passing yards through the first eight contests of 2019. 

Jones’ 23 touchdowns through the air are third with the top total being Tua’s 2019 record of 31 scores. In addition, Jones’ 76.2 completion percentage is the program-high mark by a quarterback with at least 40 attempts through the first eight games in the last 20-plus years. He passed Tagovailoa’s 2018 number of 70.9 (166-234).

His 208.0 passer-efficiency rating, the statistical category the NCAA uses to determine its passing champion, leads the nation among quarterbacks who have played more than three games this season. 

The Golden Arm semifinalists will be announced Dec. 11. 

Most individual college football awards will announce their semifinalists next week, with the finalists for most awards will be announced Dec. 22. The Home Depot College Football Awards will air on Jan. 7, at 6 p.m. CT, on ESPN.