BALTIMORE (August 22, 2023) – Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation announced Tuesday.
 
Ward is one of 48 quarterbacks up for the award that annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. This year's watch list was selected based on career player performance and expectations heading into the 2023 college football season. Gardner Minshew II won the award in 2018.
 
Last season, in his first season with the Cougars, Ward was named All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention after starting all 13 games, leading WSU to its seventh straight bowl game and throwing for 3,231 yards and 23 touchdowns. The junior from West Columbia, Texas recorded four 300-yard games, rushed for five touchdowns, had five games with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown and was named a semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, given to the top offensive player from Texas. Last season, Ward completed 320 passes, the eighth-most in WSU single-season history while his 64.4 completion percentage was ninth-best in WSU single-season history. Ward has also been named to watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Manning Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
 
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. 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.

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, December 7, 2023.

Giving life to the commitment to give back, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and presenting sponsor A. O. Smith continue to promote football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young scholar athletes. A. O. Smith is committed to creating innovative solutions that set new standards in the water heating industry.

Sharing a tradition of innovation with Johnny Unitas, who invented 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. 

The learn more about the 2023 Watch List and to watch the full reveal, please visit: 2023 Watchlist Reveal. For more information on the Golden Arm Award, please visit: Golden Arm Award. Additionally, follow the conversation throughout the college football season on Twitter, @GoldenArmAward, and use the hashtags #GoldenArmAward and #InnovationLeaders.