Arizona Wildcats Star Quarterback Tied to Award Named For NFL Legend

Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita is on the watch list for the award given each year in the name of one of the game’s true legends.
Dec 28, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA;  Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) throws a pass in the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Alamodome.
Dec 28, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) throws a pass in the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Alamodome. / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
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Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita was selected to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List on Wednesday, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. announced via release.

The award is named for Unitas, the 18-year NFL legend and Hall of Famer who threw for more than 40,000 yards in the professional ranks. He played his college football at Louisville.

This is the first time the quarterback, a redshirt sophomore, has been named to this watch list.

A total of 63 quarterbacks were listed. The award is given to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. Last year it was presented to LSU star Jayden Daniels.

No Arizona quarterback has won the award.

Fifita is no stranger to watch lists.

He was also named to the Davey O'Brien Award Watch List and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List. He was named  Athlon Sports Preseason All-American and Phil Steele Third-Team All-American.

Fifita, a native of Huntington Beach, Calif., is coming off one of the best seasons in Arizona history after he set the program record for single-season completion percentage at 72.4 percent. Against Arizona State, he threw for a single-game record 527 yards, followed by a 354-yard performance against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.

That game was the second-best passing game in Arizona bowl history and wrapped up a seven-game winning streak to end the year.

Fifita led the Wildcats to a 10-3 season, but coach Jedd Fisch left for Washington after the year. Arizona replaced him with Brent Brennan. Fifita opted to stay with the Wildcats as opposed to transferring.

Fifita threw for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023 as he earned the FWAA Offensive Freshman of the Year Award.

2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Watch List

Joey Aguilar, App State

Drew Allar, Penn State

Luke Altmyer, Illinois

Rocco Becht, Iowa State

Carson Beck, Georgia

Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State

Max Brosmer, Minnesota

Byrum Brown, South Florida

Hudson Card, Purdue

Thomas Castellanos, Boston College

Brady Cook, Missouri

Jalon Daniels, Kansas

Ashton Daniels, Stanford

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech

Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland

Quinn Ewers, Texas

Noah Fifita, Arizona

TJ Finley, Western Kentucky

Dequan Finn, Baylor

Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State

Brett Gabbert, Miami (OH)

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

Ethan Garbers, UCLA

Garrett Greene, West Virginia

Seth Henigan, Memphis

Will Howard, Ohio State

KJ Jefferson, UCF

Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers

Mikey Keene, Fresno State

Haynes King, Georgia Tech

Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

Grayson McCall, NC State

Kyle McCord, Syracuse

Cade McNamara, Iowa

Fernando Mendoza, Cal

Graham Mertz, Florida

Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Behren Morton, Texas Tech

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

Andrew Peasley, Wyoming

Cameron Rising, Utah

Will Rogers, Washington

Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

Kaidon Salter, Liberty

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Brayden Schager, Hawai’i

Blake Shapen, Mississippi State

Tyler Shough, Louisville

Donovan Smith, Houston

Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati

Preston Stone, SMU

Payton Thorne, Auburn

DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State

Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin

Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky

Nicholas Vattiato, Middle Tennessee

Cam Ward, Miami

Conner Weigman, Texas A&M

Hayden Wolff, Western Michigan

Nate Yarnell, Pittsburgh

Jacob Zeno, UAB


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