BALTIMORE, Md. — UTSA senior quarterback Frank Harris was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc., along with presenting sponsor A. O. Smith Corporation.
Harris is one of 48 players, including one of four from the American Athletic Conference, named to this year's list for the award that annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.
This marks the seventh preseason honor for Harris this year, as the Schertz Clemens High School product also appears on preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Reese's Senior Bowl and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
Harris owns more than 30 school records and a 31-11 record as the starting quarterback as he enters his final campaign with the Roadrunners. The 2022 Conference USA Most Valuable Player and first-team all-conference performer completed 328 of 471 passes (69.6%) for 4,063 yards and 32 TDs and a 160.7 passing efficiency, all school records to help lead UTSA to an 11-3 record and a second straight league crown last fall. He logged seven 300-yard passing games, including a UTSA record 414 in the 45-30 win at Middle Tennessee, and he totaled 400-plus yards of offense three times, highlighted by a school record 423 in the same contest. Harris added 602 rushing yards — the program standard for a QB — and nine scores on the ground.
For his career, Harris has thrown for 9,356 yards and 74 touchdowns on 816-of-1210 passing to go with 1,822 rushing yards and 24 scores on 372 carries. He holds UTSA's total offense record with 11,178 yards, which ranks fifth among active FBS quarterbacks, and his 42 career starts are the fourth-best total nationally.
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 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 on Dec. 7 in Baltimore, Maryland.
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 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.
Under the direction of two-time conference coach of the year Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are coming off an 11-3 campaign that saw them capture their second straight Conference USA crown and play in a bowl game for the third year in a row. UTSA has been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last two seasons and boasts a combined 23 wins over that span, the fourth-best total among all FBS teams behind only Georgia (29), Michigan (25) and Alabama (24).
UTSA, which has been picked to finish second in the AAC Preseason Media Poll and is receiving votes in both major preseason rankings, will open its 13th season of play next Saturday, Sept. 2, against Houston. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at TDECU Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on FS1.
UTSA will face Texas State for the home opener at 2:30 p.m. the following Saturday at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners will host Army at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, UAB on Oct. 14, East Carolina on Oct. 28, Rice on Nov. 11 and South Florida at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now by calling 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com/tickets.
2023 Golden Arm Award Watch List Presented by A. O. Smith
Brennan Armstrong, NC State
Carter Bradley, South Alabama
Hudson Card, Purdue
Chevan Cordeiro, San Jose State
Jayden Daniels, LSU
Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma
Mitch Griffis, Wake Forest
Frank Harris, UTSA
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Seth Henigan, Memphis
Will Howard, Kansas State
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
Devin Leary, Kentucky
Riley Leonard, Duke
Drake Maye, North Carolina
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Cade McNamara, Iowa
Graham Mertz, Florida
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
Bo Nix, Oregon
Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Michael Pratt, Tulane
Drew Pyne, Arizona State
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Cam Rising, Utah
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
Kurtis Rourke, Ohio
Blake Shapen, Baylor
Garrett Shrader, Syracuse
Kedon Slovis, BYU
Donovan Smith, Houston
Cole Snyder, Buffalo
Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland
Casey Thompson, Florida Atlantic
Payton Thorne, Auburn
Jordan Travis, Florida State
DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
Cam Ward, Washington State
Grant Wells, Virginia Tech
Caleb Williams, USC
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