It’s award season in college football and TCU quarterback Max Duggan has received his first one.
Duggan was announced as the winner of the 2022 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Wednesday afternoon. The award is given annually in the United States to the nation’s top upperclassmen quarterback in college football.
Quarterbacks are judged not only on their stats, but also their character, scholastic achievement, and leadership qualities.
While leading TCU to a 12-0 record and the Big 12 championship game on Saturday vs. Kansas State, Duggan has thrown for 3,070 yards and 29 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He also has run for 294 yards and five more touchdowns while posting a quarterback rating of 79.7.
Duggan is fourth in the nation in passing efficiency with a 171.3 rating. He is tied for second among Power 5 quarterbacks with 16 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards and has accounted for three or more touchdowns in eight of his 11 starts this season.
Duggan is the first TCU player to win the award. There’s a good chance this won’t be his only award in December.
Duggan remains a candidate for the Heisman Trophy and is also a finalist for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. He’s the first finalist for the award since Trevone Boykin in 2014-15.