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‘Big Four’ ACC quarterbacks named to Unitas Golden Arm watch list

Duke, State, Carolina, Wake signal callers all poised for big seasons

Published

August 23, 2023

Duke University put golden colors on their starting quarterback this week, honoring RIley Leonard's inclusion on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award watch list. (Graphic courtesy Duke University athletics)

If you ask an old-school ACC fan what they think when they hear “Big Four,” they’ll likely hearken back to an early season basketball tournament from the 1970s and early ’80s that featured all four of North Carolina’s ACC schools – NC State, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest.

This college football season the “Big Four” moniker suits the quarterbacks of those four schools just fine.

NC State’s Brennan Armstrong, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Duke’s Riley Leonard and Wake Forest’s Mitch Griffis all have been named to the preseason Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list.

The award annually recognizes “the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.” The watch list of 48 total players was picked based on past performance and lofty expectations for the season ahead.

Four out of the 48 chosen for the prestigious honor? Big Four indeed.

Maye has been named the ACC preseason player of the year. Riley received votes for that honor. Armstrong has more than 9,000 career passing yards as he moves to NC State from Virginia – the most yards of any left-handed QB in league history. Griffis is a talented redshirt freshman set to take over command of the Deacs offense from Sam Hartman, who also is on the Unitas watch list going into his super-senior season with Notre Dame.

The namesake of the Golden Arm Award was an 18-year NFL veteran. Unitas 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 and 290 touchdowns. He threw 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 Golden Arm Award banquet and celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday, December 7, 2023.