Armstrong named to two more preseason watch lists

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong was featured on both the Manning Award Watch List as well as the College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List on Monday. The senior was included on both watch lists last season and was one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award in 2021.

Of the 10 finalists for the Manning Award last season, Armstrong is one of five to return to college football in 2022. The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ bowl performances in its balloting.

Armstrong is one of 38 players included on the CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy watch list. The trophy is a 22-inch K-9 optic crystal tower with eight-inch crystal football on top.

The UVA senior has already been featured on the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Award Watch lists this summer. He’s also garnered preseason All-ACC accolades from Athlon Sports (Third Team) and Phil Steele (Fourth Team).

The Cavalier signal caller broke UVA’s single season passing yards (4,449), passing touchdowns (31), completions (326) and total offense (4,700) records in 2021. His 404.4 passing yards per game were the most ever by an ACC quarterback and he was only 145 yards shy of breaking the ACC’s all-time single season passing record in just 11 games played.

Armstrong is one of three players in College Football history to throw for more than 4,400 yards in just 11 games played (David Klinger – 5,140 in 1990 & Andre Ware – 4,699 in 1989). The 4,000-yard season was one of 10 ever by an ACC quarterback. Armstrong joins Jameis Winston (Florida State), Deshaun Watson (Clemson) and Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) as the only ACC quarterback to return the next season after passing for 4,000 yards.

Entering the 2022 season, Armstrong needs 679 yards to break UVA legend and 17-year NFL QB Matt Schaub’s career passing record and six touchdowns away from eclipsing his career touchdown record at Virginia. After a school record 4,700 yards of total offense last season, Armstrong is 191 total yards away from breaking Bryce Perkins’ career mark.

Armstrong owns seven of the top-10 passing performances in UVA history including his school-record 554-yard, four touchdown game against North Carolina last season. It was one of nine 550-plus yard games against power-5 programs in all of college football since the 2015 season. He passed for 300 or more yards 10 times in 2021 and 400 yards on six different occasions. Prior to the season, only two UVA quarterbacks threw for 400 or more yards in a game.