The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
A.J. Erdely Named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
8/14/2018 10:18:00 AM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. named redshirt senior quarterback A.J. Erdely to the 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List on Tuesday morning.
Annually presented since 1987 to the nation's top college quarterback, candidates must be a college senior or fourth-year junior to be eligible for the award. Criteria to be considered for the award include character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and athletic accomplishments.
Erdely is one of 49 players nationwide named to the watch list and one of six signal callers from Conference USA honored. The winner will be presented the award on Dec. 7 at the Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel & The Grand.
Erdely had a record-setting season in 2017 and started all 13 games in UAB's historic return to the field last year.
He threw for 2,331 yards and 16 touchdowns with just four interceptions and added a school-record tying 13 rushing touchdowns.
His 29 total touchdowns were the second most in school history only behind Joe Webb's 32 in 2009. Erdely set the Conference USA record for single-game completion percentage when he completed 20-of-21 passes (95.2%) against Rice in a 52-21 victory which clinched bowl eligibility for the Blazers.
Erdely is one of 10 returning offensive starters for the Blazers, which is tied for the most in the country entering the 2018 season.
The Blazers are just 16 days away from Birmingham's College Football Kickoff when UAB welcomes Savannah State to Legion Field on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.
Along with the many new upgrades to Legion Field in 2018, the Birmingham Food Truck Coalition will host a Food Truck Rally that evening at Legion Field with 10 of the top food trucks Birmingham has to offer.
Season tickets, mini plans and single game tickets are on sale by clicking here.
2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
Jake Bentley, South Carolina
David Blough, Purdue
Ross Bowers, Cal
Jake Browning, Washington
Kelly Bryant, Clemson
K.J. Carta-Samuels, Colorado State
Christian Chapman, San Diego State
Keller Chryst, Tennessee
Taylor Cornelius, Oklahoma State
Eric Dungey, Syracuse
A.J. Erdely, UAB
Ryan Finley, NC State
Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
Ty Gangi, Nevada
Will Grier, West Virginia
Justice Hansen, Arkansas State
Justin Herbert, Oregon
Alex Hornibrook, Wisconsin
Tyler Huntley, Utah
Tyree Jackson, Buffalo
Daniel Jones, Duke
Kyle Kempt, Iowa State
Hasaan Klugh, UTEP
Brian Lewerke, Michigan State
Drew Lock, Missouri
Jake Luton, Oregon State
Trace McSorley, Penn State
Marcus McMaryion, Fresno State
McKenzie Milton, UCF
Gardner Minshew, Washington State
Steven Montez, Colorado
Hayden Moore, Cincinnati
James Morgan, FIU
Shea Patterson, Michigan
Bryce Perkins, Virginia
Gus Ragland, Miami of Ohio
Malik Rosier, Miami
Brett Rypien, Boise State
Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt
J'Mar Smith, Louisiana Tech
Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee
Jordan Ta'amu, Ole Miss
Khalil Tate, Arizona
Alex Thomson, Marshall
Clayton Thorson, Northwestern
Brady White, Memphis
Manny Wilkins, Arizona State
Brandon Wimbush, Notre Dame
Past standout winners of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® include: Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997); Carson Palmer (USC, 2002); Eli Manning (Ole Miss, 2003); Brady Quinn (Notre Dame, 2006); Matt Ryan (Boston College, 2007); Colt McCoy (Texas, 2009); Andrew Luck (Stanford, 2011); Marcus Mariota (University of Oregon, 2014); Connor Cook (Michigan State, 2015); Deshaun Watson (Clemson, 2016) and the 2017 winner, Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State).
Annually presented since 1987 to the nation's top college quarterback, candidates must be a college senior or fourth-year junior to be eligible for the award. Criteria to be considered for the award include character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and athletic accomplishments.
Erdely is one of 49 players nationwide named to the watch list and one of six signal callers from Conference USA honored. The winner will be presented the award on Dec. 7 at the Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel & The Grand.
Erdely had a record-setting season in 2017 and started all 13 games in UAB's historic return to the field last year.
He threw for 2,331 yards and 16 touchdowns with just four interceptions and added a school-record tying 13 rushing touchdowns.
His 29 total touchdowns were the second most in school history only behind Joe Webb's 32 in 2009. Erdely set the Conference USA record for single-game completion percentage when he completed 20-of-21 passes (95.2%) against Rice in a 52-21 victory which clinched bowl eligibility for the Blazers.
Erdely is one of 10 returning offensive starters for the Blazers, which is tied for the most in the country entering the 2018 season.
The Blazers are just 16 days away from Birmingham's College Football Kickoff when UAB welcomes Savannah State to Legion Field on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.
Along with the many new upgrades to Legion Field in 2018, the Birmingham Food Truck Coalition will host a Food Truck Rally that evening at Legion Field with 10 of the top food trucks Birmingham has to offer.
Season tickets, mini plans and single game tickets are on sale by clicking here.
2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
Jake Bentley, South Carolina
David Blough, Purdue
Ross Bowers, Cal
Jake Browning, Washington
Kelly Bryant, Clemson
K.J. Carta-Samuels, Colorado State
Christian Chapman, San Diego State
Keller Chryst, Tennessee
Taylor Cornelius, Oklahoma State
Eric Dungey, Syracuse
A.J. Erdely, UAB
Ryan Finley, NC State
Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
Ty Gangi, Nevada
Will Grier, West Virginia
Justice Hansen, Arkansas State
Justin Herbert, Oregon
Alex Hornibrook, Wisconsin
Tyler Huntley, Utah
Tyree Jackson, Buffalo
Daniel Jones, Duke
Kyle Kempt, Iowa State
Hasaan Klugh, UTEP
Brian Lewerke, Michigan State
Drew Lock, Missouri
Jake Luton, Oregon State
Trace McSorley, Penn State
Marcus McMaryion, Fresno State
McKenzie Milton, UCF
Gardner Minshew, Washington State
Steven Montez, Colorado
Hayden Moore, Cincinnati
James Morgan, FIU
Shea Patterson, Michigan
Bryce Perkins, Virginia
Gus Ragland, Miami of Ohio
Malik Rosier, Miami
Brett Rypien, Boise State
Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt
J'Mar Smith, Louisiana Tech
Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee
Jordan Ta'amu, Ole Miss
Khalil Tate, Arizona
Alex Thomson, Marshall
Clayton Thorson, Northwestern
Brady White, Memphis
Manny Wilkins, Arizona State
Brandon Wimbush, Notre Dame
Past standout winners of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® include: Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997); Carson Palmer (USC, 2002); Eli Manning (Ole Miss, 2003); Brady Quinn (Notre Dame, 2006); Matt Ryan (Boston College, 2007); Colt McCoy (Texas, 2009); Andrew Luck (Stanford, 2011); Marcus Mariota (University of Oregon, 2014); Connor Cook (Michigan State, 2015); Deshaun Watson (Clemson, 2016) and the 2017 winner, Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State).
Players Mentioned
QB
/ FootballUAB MBB vs Mississippi Valley St | Postgame Press Conference
Tuesday, November 04
Monday Morning with Mort | Week 11
Monday, November 03
UAB MBB vs WKU (Exhibition) | Postgame Press Conference
Thursday, October 30
Monday Morning with Mort | Week 10
Tuesday, October 28
