UCLA Football: Ethan Garbers Listed On Watchlist For Prestigious QB Award

Garbers has been named to this watch list.

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA football quarterback Ethan Garbers has been named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list ahead of the 2024 season. The award is named in honor of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas, who earned the nickname 'golden arm' as he led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns four times over his career.

The award is given each year to the best senior or upperclassmen quarterback in college football.

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award has its 👀 on @ethan_garbers3! 💪#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/FRomXuNXB5

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) August 17, 2024

The redshirt senior was one of 63 quarterbacks to be placed on the award's watch list. The winner will be announced on Dec. 6 in Baltimore, Maryland, where Unitas spent the majority of his NFL career as a Baltimore Colt.

Garbers is heading into his second season as UCLA's starting quarterback. He has taken the reigns at the position this offseason after a bumpy 2023 campaign. Garbers won the battle for the starting quarterback job prior to the 2023 season but was benched for freshman Dante Moore after throwing two interceptions in UCLA's first game of the season.

Garbers would win the starting job back in October, but his season was also limited due to injuries, including a forearm injury that caused him to leave the final game of the regular season early. He managed to return a month later for UCLA's appearance in the L.A. Bowl, where he came off the bench and won the offensive MVP award.

The Newport Beach native finished the season completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 1,136 yards, 11 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He will look to build off those numbers this season as he is expected to keep the starting role.

Garbers has established himself as not just the starter, but the team's leader on offense. He has helped bring his teammates together throughout the offseason and keep them accountable for putting in their best effort for the upcoming season.

If Garbers were to win the award, he would become only the second quarterback in UCLA history to do so after former Bruin Cade McNown. McNown won the award in 1998 after completing 58.2 percent for 3,130 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as the Bruins nearly advanced to the BCS national championship game.

The reigning winner is former LSU football quarterback Jayden Daniels, who also won the Heisman Trophy a season ago.