Cade McNamara named to 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
Cade McNamara continues to pick up preseason fanfare. The Iowa Hawkeyes’ new starting quarterback was named to the 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List.
The 6-foot-1, 205 pound signal-caller brings a championship pedigree to Iowa City. During the 2021 season, McNamara guided Michigan to a Big Ten championship. The Reno, Nev., product threw for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He completed 64.2% of his passes.
McNamara joins a group of 48 of the nation’s top quarterbacks, including five from the Big Ten. Other Big Ten quarterbacks on the watch list include Purdue’s Hudson Card, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Wisconsin‘s Tanner Mordecai and Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa.
Cade has been named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List.@Cademac_12 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/sj2V427BOA
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) August 23, 2023
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.
Selected by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee and a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, and former players, the award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.
Since arriving in Iowa City, McNamara has already been praised as one of the team’s top leaders by his head coach.
“He’s been outstanding. He’s just a really good leader. He’s a good football player. He’s got good vision, makes good decisions. It’s really been positive. Excited he’s here,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said of McNamara at Iowa’s media day.
Meanwhile, for McNamara’s part, it sounds like he couldn’t be happier to be donning the black and gold.
“To be honest, I’m probably reminded of that every single day of how truly happy I am here. I really love everything about this state, about this school and about this program, and I honestly could not be happier that I made the choice to be a Hawkeye. Any time I call my parents I tell them how happy I am here. Anytime my teammates ask me how I’m doing, I’m doing great. And I’m not trying lie or act like Mr. Happy all the time, or like be a phony.
“But honestly, that’s just truly how I feel. Everyone here has just been so welcoming to me, from my teammates to the people of Iowa. I’m just reminded every day how grateful I am to be here,” McNamara said.
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