Shedeur Sanders Accepts Prestigious College Football Award

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Dec 6, 2024 9:20 PM ET

It's college football hardware season, and the best players will be recognized for their stellar 2024 campaigns. In what could be one of many achievements upcoming for Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, the Buffaloes quarterback accepted the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

The award is named after Baltimore Colts legend Johnny Unitas, who was bestowed with the nickname "The Golden Arm." His son, John Unitas Jr., uses his father's long football legacy to acknowledge and shine a spotlight on college football's best quarterbacks.

Presented annually since 1987, the award is given to the nation's top upperclassman quarterback. It's not simply based on statistics but also includes a player's accomplishments on and off the field in character and leadership abilities.

Past winners include LSU's Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow, Alabama's Mac Jones, Stanford's Andrew Luck, USC's Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, and many others.

Shedeur Sanders accept the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award #SkoBuffs pic.twitter.com/Bf0sOrgDUa
— We Coming (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) December 7, 2024

Shedeur Sanders and Colorado football finished with a 9-3 record, including wins in five of their last six games. Paired with Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter, Sanders improved in his second season with the Buffaloes.

The senior signal-caller passed for 3,926 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Sanders was named first-team All-Big 12 and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He was projected to be the No. 2 overall pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in the latest Athlon Sports' 2025 NFL Mock Draft.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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