Penn State QB Trace McSorley among top-20 candidates for Unitas Award

Penn State redshirt junior quarterback Trace McSorley was listed among the top-20 candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the university announced Wednesday, shortly after the watch list was trimmed.

The award goes to college football’s best fourth-year (or older) quarterback, based on accomplishments on and off the field. No Penn State quarterback has ever won the award, which began in 1987. The last Big Ten player to win was Michigan State’s Connor Cook in 2015.

The other Big Ten candidates this season include Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett and Purdue’s David Blough.

McSorley currently ranks among the nation’s top-25 passers in a multitude of categories: passing yards (1,597; 19th), touchdowns (13; 16th), efficiency (154.1; 23rd) and completion rate (67 percent; 19th).

The Nittany Lions are on a bye this week, but they’ll return to the field next Saturday against Michigan at home. That game is slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m. and will air on ABC.

This story was originally published October 11, 2017 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Penn State QB Trace McSorley among top-20 candidates for Unitas Award."