BALTIMORE — UTSA redshirt junior Owen McCown has landed on the watch list for the Golden Arm Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation announced Tuesday.
McCown is one of 58 FBS players selected for the watch list for the award that is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback who is on track to graduate with their class. This marks the fourth preseason watch list on which McCown has earned a spot, as he also was chosen for the Manning Award, Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien Award watch lists.
A product of Rusk High School, McCown started all 13 games last year and completed 294 of 467 passes for 3,424 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 340 yards and three TDs to tally 3,764 yards of total offense. The left-hander logged four 300-yard passing games, including a school-record 434 yards and four touchdowns against Tulsa, and topped the 200-yard mark in seven additional contests.
McCown opened the 2024 season by throwing for 340 yards and three scores on 28-of-38 passing in the 28-16 victory over Kennesaw State and was named Manning Award QB of the Week. He landed on the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list after completing 20 of 37 passes for 280 yards and four TDs in the 44-36 win over No. 25 Memphis. He racked up 379 yards and two touchdowns on 29-of-43 passing and added 88 rushing yards to help UTSA tally a school-record 681 yards of offense in the 48-27 win versus North Texas, earning a spot on the Davey O’Brien Great 9 and Manning Award Stars of the Week list. He completed 20 of 27 passes for 220 yards and a TD and added a 75-yard rushing touchdown — the longest by any Roadrunner quarterback — in the 51-27 home triumph over Temple. The son of former NFL quarterback Josh McCown closed the campaign by passing for 254 yards and a TD and dashing for a 35-yard score on the ground in the 44-15 victory over Coastal Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Bowl en route to being named the game’s MVP.
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.
As the 2025 college football season unfolds, the watch list will be narrowed to semifinalists and finalists. One standout quarterback will take home the Golden Arm Award in December. The winner will be celebrated at the 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. For more information on the Golden Arm Award, please visit GoldenArmFoundation.com.
UTSA will kick off its 15th season of football and sixth year under head coach Jeff Traylor against Texas A&M at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, in what will be a national televised matchup on ESPN live from Kyle Field in College Station.
The Roadrunners then will return home to host back-to-back games at the Alamodome where they boast a 29-3 record in the Jeff Traylor era, tied for the third-most home victories among FBS teams since 2020. UTSA will face Texas State in the Battle for I-35 at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, before they match up with crosstown foe UIW at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.
UTSA has four league games on the home slate with Rice (Oct. 11), Tulane (Oct. 30), East Carolina (Nov. 22) and Army (Nov. 28 or 29) scheduled to visit the Alamodome.
Fans can purchase season or single-game tickets online or by calling the UTSA Ticket Office at 210-458-UTSA (8872) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays. Current UTSA football season-ticket holders may renew their tickets by logging into their UTSA Account Manager.
Current UTSA students receive free admission to all home games by downloading tickets via their Account Manager.
Merchandise commemorating UTSA Football’s 15th season and featuring the official logo of the milestone campaign is available for purchase.
Roadrunners on 2025 Preseason Watch Lists
Camron Cooper — Allstate AFCA Good Works Team; Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
Robert Henry Jr. — Shrine Bowl 1000; Doak Walker Award
Owen McCown — Davey O’Brien Award; Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award; Manning Award; Maxwell Award
Willie McCoy III — Paul Hornung Award
Venly Tatafu — Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award
-UTSA-