Jennings Among Top 15 For Golden Arm Award
Oct 8 | Football
BALTIMORE, M.D. (SMU) – Senior quarterback Kevin Jennings is among the Top 15 finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards, the foundation announced Thursday.
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Guiding the Mustangs to a 4-1 start to the 2026 campaign, Jennings currently ranks first in the ACC and third in the country in both total passing yards (1,588) and passing yards per game (317.6). The South Oak Cliff product also ranks third in conference and fifth in the nation in completion percentage (0.750).
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Jennings has already set program records in career total offense (9,925), completions (742), touchdowns responsible for (81) and passing yards (9,297).
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Among active quarterbacks in the FBS, he is eighth in total offense, seventh in TDs responsible for and sixth in passing yards.
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The field will continue to narrow in the coming weeks before finalists are selected and one quarterback is named the 2026 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award recipient. The winner will be celebrated at the annual Golden Arm Award ceremony in Baltimore on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
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The full list of the Top 15 is below:
Rocco Becht, Penn State
CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Devon Dampier, Utah
Noah Fifita, Arizona
Kevin Jennings, SMU
Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Sam Leavitt, LSU
Jayden Maiava, USC
Arch Manning, Texas
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Dante Moore, Oregon
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Conner Weigman, Houston
Demond Williams Jr., Washington
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ABOUT THE GOLDEN ARM AWARD
The Golden Arm Award has recognized many of college football's most accomplished quarterbacks throughout its history, honoring players who exemplify the qualities associated with its namesake, Johnny Unitas.
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Sharing a tradition of innovation with Johnny Unitas, who helped pioneer football's two-minute drill, A. O. Smith has been an innovator in its industry for more than a century. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and supports the world's broadest and deepest line of residential and commercial water heaters, as well as commercial boilers. This single-source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by 80 years of research and
innovation.
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Guiding the Mustangs to a 4-1 start to the 2026 campaign, Jennings currently ranks first in the ACC and third in the country in both total passing yards (1,588) and passing yards per game (317.6). The South Oak Cliff product also ranks third in conference and fifth in the nation in completion percentage (0.750).
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Jennings has already set program records in career total offense (9,925), completions (742), touchdowns responsible for (81) and passing yards (9,297).
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Among active quarterbacks in the FBS, he is eighth in total offense, seventh in TDs responsible for and sixth in passing yards.
Â
The field will continue to narrow in the coming weeks before finalists are selected and one quarterback is named the 2026 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award recipient. The winner will be celebrated at the annual Golden Arm Award ceremony in Baltimore on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
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The full list of the Top 15 is below:
Rocco Becht, Penn State
CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Devon Dampier, Utah
Noah Fifita, Arizona
Kevin Jennings, SMU
Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Sam Leavitt, LSU
Jayden Maiava, USC
Arch Manning, Texas
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Dante Moore, Oregon
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Conner Weigman, Houston
Demond Williams Jr., Washington
Â
ABOUT THE GOLDEN ARM AWARD
The Golden Arm Award has recognized many of college football's most accomplished quarterbacks throughout its history, honoring players who exemplify the qualities associated with its namesake, Johnny Unitas.
Â
Sharing a tradition of innovation with Johnny Unitas, who helped pioneer football's two-minute drill, A. O. Smith has been an innovator in its industry for more than a century. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and supports the world's broadest and deepest line of residential and commercial water heaters, as well as commercial boilers. This single-source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by 80 years of research and
innovation.
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Players Mentioned
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