Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Costello Selected to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
August 12, 2020 | Football
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Graduate quarterback K.J. Costello was named to the preseason watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Tuesday. It marked the second consecutive season that he received the recognition.
Costello was a two-time captain at Stanford who started 25 games over the course of three seasons, prior to arriving in Starkville. He has gone 495-of-791 passing for 6,151 yards and 49 touchdowns during his career.
In 2018, Costello earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors when he started all 13 games and passed for 3,540 yards, the second-highest single-season total in team history. He completed 65.1 percent of his passes with 29 touchdowns and led the Pac-12 in both pass efficiency (155) and yards per attempt (8.57).
The namesake of the Golden Arm Award has a storied history. Johnny Unitas was an 18-year veteran of the NFL, who played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards, 290 touchdowns and throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games.
This award is presented annually to the top senior and upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on and off the field.
In July, Costello was also named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the most outstanding player in college football, for the second time in his career.
The complete 2020 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Preseason Watch List is below.
Jack Abraham, Southern Miss
Jake Bentley, Utah
James Blackman, Florida State
Ian Book, Notre Dame
Alan Bowman, Texas Tech
Myles Brennan, LSU
Charlie Brewer , Baylor
Chase Brice, Duke
Anthony Brown, Oregon
Sean Clifford, Penn State
Jack Coan, Wisconsin
K.J. Costello, Mississippi State
Dustin Crum, Kent State
Micale Cunningham, Louisville
Sam Ehlinger, Texas
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Feleipe Franks, Arkansas
Chase Garbers, California
Jarrett Guarantano, Tennessee
Donald Hammond III, Air Force
Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
Hendon Hooker, Virginia Tech
Josh Jackson, Maryland
Mac Jones, Alabama
D'Eriq King, Miami
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Levi Lewis, Louisiana
Adrian Martinez, Nebraska
Dylan McCaffery, Michigan
David Mills, Stanford
Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Jamie Newman, Georgia
Patrick O'Brien, Colorado State
Asher O'Hara, Middle Tennessee
Brandon Peters, Illinois
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
Drew Plitt, Ball State
Brock Purdy, Iowa State
Peyton Ramsey, Northwestern
Shawn Robinson, Missouri
Nick Starkel, San Jose State
Zac Thomas, Appalachian State
Skylar Thompson, Kansas State
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Kyle Trask, Florida
Zach Wilson, BYU
Terry Wilson, Kentucky
STARKVILLE – Graduate quarterback K.J. Costello was named to the preseason watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Tuesday. It marked the second consecutive season that he received the recognition.
Costello was a two-time captain at Stanford who started 25 games over the course of three seasons, prior to arriving in Starkville. He has gone 495-of-791 passing for 6,151 yards and 49 touchdowns during his career.
In 2018, Costello earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors when he started all 13 games and passed for 3,540 yards, the second-highest single-season total in team history. He completed 65.1 percent of his passes with 29 touchdowns and led the Pac-12 in both pass efficiency (155) and yards per attempt (8.57).
The namesake of the Golden Arm Award has a storied history. Johnny Unitas was an 18-year veteran of the NFL, who played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards, 290 touchdowns and throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games.
This award is presented annually to the top senior and upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on and off the field.
In July, Costello was also named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the most outstanding player in college football, for the second time in his career.
The complete 2020 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Preseason Watch List is below.
Jack Abraham, Southern Miss
Jake Bentley, Utah
James Blackman, Florida State
Ian Book, Notre Dame
Alan Bowman, Texas Tech
Myles Brennan, LSU
Charlie Brewer , Baylor
Chase Brice, Duke
Anthony Brown, Oregon
Sean Clifford, Penn State
Jack Coan, Wisconsin
K.J. Costello, Mississippi State
Dustin Crum, Kent State
Micale Cunningham, Louisville
Sam Ehlinger, Texas
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Feleipe Franks, Arkansas
Chase Garbers, California
Jarrett Guarantano, Tennessee
Donald Hammond III, Air Force
Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
Hendon Hooker, Virginia Tech
Josh Jackson, Maryland
Mac Jones, Alabama
D'Eriq King, Miami
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Levi Lewis, Louisiana
Adrian Martinez, Nebraska
Dylan McCaffery, Michigan
David Mills, Stanford
Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Jamie Newman, Georgia
Patrick O'Brien, Colorado State
Asher O'Hara, Middle Tennessee
Brandon Peters, Illinois
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
Drew Plitt, Ball State
Brock Purdy, Iowa State
Peyton Ramsey, Northwestern
Shawn Robinson, Missouri
Nick Starkel, San Jose State
Zac Thomas, Appalachian State
Skylar Thompson, Kansas State
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Kyle Trask, Florida
Zach Wilson, BYU
Terry Wilson, Kentucky
Players Mentioned
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