A total of 30 quarterbacks were honored on the 2013 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List in the preseason, and that list has now been trimmed with UCF redshirt junior Blake Bortles being one of 15 signal-callers in the country to remain a candidate for the prestigious award.
The Golden Arm Award is presented by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and Transamerica. It has been presented at the end of each season since 1987 to the nation’s top college quarterback, based on character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership and athletic accomplishments.
Candidates must be college seniors or fourth-year juniors on schedule to graduate with their class. The 2013 award will be presented at a ceremony on Dec. 6 in Baltimore, Md.
Throughout the year, Bortles has been among the top vote-getters in the Davey O’Brien Award Fan Vote, and UCF fans can keep casting their ballot at http://www.voteobrien.org/.
The Oviedo native sits second in the American Athletic Conference with a 14.5 yards per completion average and a 160.4 passing efficiency rating. Nationally, those marks also rank 13th and 16th, respectively. Bortles also places third in the league with a 64.8 completion percentage and an average of 273.8 yards of total offense per game.
Bortles has helped UCF post a 4-1 record and a 1-0 mark in The American. He has nine touchdown passes in 2013 compared to three interceptions, throwing for 1,334 yards in the process. For his career, Bortles has amassed 40 touchdown passes and 5,351 yards in the air.
The Knights are creeping closer to gameday as they travel to No. 8/6 Louisville (6-0, 2-0) Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN. UCF will eventually return home for its first American game at Bright House Networks Stadium Saturday, Oct. 26, at noon.
2013 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List