UVA’s Morris named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia’s Chandler Morris has been named to the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List, the Johnny Units Golden Arm Educational Foundation unveiled Tuesday. The award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback who is on track to graduate with their class.

Morris was one of 13 ACC quarterbacks named to this year’s preseason watch list. The ACC’s 13 selections led all conferences nationally.

Morris transferred to UVA in January after a prolific 2024 season at North Texas, where he started in all 13 games and quarterbacked the nation’s No. 3 offense in yards per game (488.7). Morris completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns. His 31 TD passes were good for fourth among all players nationally. Morris led the country with four 400-yard passing performances and also set UNT single-season records for passing attempts (512), passing yards per game (314.5), total offense (4,104) and TD responsibility (35). 

For his career, Morris has completed 526 passes, including 47 touchdowns, and accumulated 6,207 yards through the air. Prior to his tenure at UNT, Morris played at TCU (2021-23) and Oklahoma (2020). 

This fall camp, Morris was also named both a Maxwell Award preseason candidate and Davey O’Brien Award watch list selection. 

Now in its 39th year, the Golden Arm Award continues to honor excellence both on and off the field. The award is presented by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation in partnership with A. O. Smith Corporation, whose mission aligns with the Foundation’s commitment to advancing the game of football while promoting character, leadership, and academic achievement among young athletes. 

This year, the Foundation is proud to announce a new partnership with Leveling the Playing Field (LPF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access and equity in youth sports. LPF provides sports equipment to underserved communities, giving every child the chance to experience the life-changing benefits of athletic participation. Together, the Foundation, A. O. Smith and LPF are working to ensure that the next generation of leaders has the tools and opportunities to succeed—on the field and beyond. 

As the 2025 college football season unfolds, the watch list will be narrowed to semifinalists, finalists and one standout quarterback will take home the Golden Arm Award in December. The winner will be celebrated at our annual Golden Arm Award ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Johnny Unitas’ hometown of Baltimore—an unforgettable night honoring leadership, legacy, and the best in college football. 

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 more than 80 years of research and innovation. 

For more information on the Golden Arm Award, please visit GoldenArmFoundation.com. Fans and media are encouraged to follow the conversation throughout the college football season on the Golden Arm Award’s official social media channels: 

• X (formerly Twitter): @GoldenArmAward 
• Instagram: @GoldenArmAward 
• Facebook: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award 
• YouTube: Golden Arm Award Channel 

Join the discussion using the hashtags #GoldenArmAward and #InnovationLeaders.

Golden Arm Award® Partners: MedStar Sports Medicine, The Babe Ruth Museum, Comcast, Dunbar Security Solutions, Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, Wilson, Haddock Investments, Silver Star Properties, Encore, TRAY, AE2 Creative, Jostens, Leveling the Playing Field, Yates, Wolf Professional Security, and Extraordinar Luxury Transportation.  

About A. O. Smith
A. O. Smith is a leading global water technology and manufacturing company that provides innovative water heating and water treatment solutions. For more than 150 years, dedication to innovation has propelled A. O. Smith to adapt to new opportunities and transform itself multiple times over. 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 extensive research. For the most up-to-date A. O. Smith news, like us on Facebook, follow us on LinkedIn and visit www.hotwater.com.