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Trace McSorley, J.T. Barrett listed in Top 10 for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

A pair of B1G quarterbacks have been listed as finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

On Wednesday, the extensive list was narrowed down to just 10 finalists, which included Penn State’s Trace McSorley and Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett. The initial Watch List was comprised of 47 quarterbacks from across the country.

In order to be eligible for the Golden Arm Award, players must either be seniors or fourth-year juniors scheduled to graduate with their class. Candidates are judged by on-field performance, as well as by character, citizenship, scholastic achievement and leadership qualities, according to the official website.

McSorley has helped lead Penn State to a 7-1 record this season, throwing for 2,071 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing nearly 66 percent of his passes. He’s also rushed for 303 yards and eight scores.

Barrett has been stellar for Ohio State this season, owning a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 25-1. He’s completing passes at almost a 70 percent clip and has thrown for 2,166 yards, which leads the B1G. Barrett has also been a force on the ground, rushing for 454 yards and five touchdowns.

Last year, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was the recipient of the award. The last B1G winner was Michigan State gunslinger Connor Cook in 2015.

A winner will be named on Dec. 8 at a ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB