The watch lists keep rolling in for senior quarterback Devin Leary as he has been named one of the nation’s top 48 quarterbacks for the 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. Leary was a semifinalist for the award last season.
The preseason watch list, semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the distinguished Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, and former players. This year’s watch list was selected based on career player performance and expectations heading into the 2023 college football season.
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.
Leary, a native of Sicklerville, New Jersey, transferred to Kentucky in January after four seasons at NC State. He completed 568-of-944 passes for 62 touchdowns and his 6,807 career passing yards ranks sixth on NC State’s career list. His 60.2 percent completion mark ranks fourth. Leary was 17-9 overall as a starter.
In 2022, he led NC State to a 5-1 record and a top-15 ranking in the national polls before suffering a season-ending injury. Prior to that, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year.
Leary graduated in December of 2022 with a degree in sport management and is currently working on an undergraduate certificate in business from UK.
He is also on the watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award and the Comeback Player of the Year.
The 2023 award winner will be presented the Golden Arm Award trophy by The Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation President, John Unitas, Jr., as well as other notable attendees at the Golden Arm Award banquet and celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.