The Golden Arm Educational Foundation, alongside presenting partner A. O. Smith Corporation, is proud to announce its Top Five Finalists for the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. This year’s group represents outstanding leadership, performance, and competitive spirit across the college football landscape.

Each finalist earned his place through a unique blend of skill and competitiveness — from strong pocket command and efficiency to dynamic playmaking ability, toughness under pressure, and the capacity to elevate those around them. Collectively, this group represents one of the most diverse quarterbacking profiles the award has seen, showcasing precision passers, dual-threat talents, and leaders who consistently delivered in critical moments.

The Top 5 candidates for the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award are:
(Statistics current through November 19)

Haynes King, Georgia Tech - A flashy dual-threat, King and the #16 Yellow Jackets have their best record in more than a decade (9-1). To date, King has scored 10 touchdowns on 2,259 yards passing, while adding 14 TDs with 807 yards rushing.

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana - The Hoosiers are in historic territory behind Mendoza’s leadership. They’ve earned the nation’s #2 ranking while going 11-0 so far this season. Mendoza has the third-best FBS rating (184.8) and is the only FBS quarterback to date who has passed for 30 touchdowns. He’s thrown for 2,641 total yards, while rushing for 216 more.

Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt - Pavia has led a confident Vanderbilt (#14) team to a school-best 8 weeks in the Top 25 and the Commodores’ best record (8-2) in almost 90 years. To date, he has 2,440 yards passing with 21 touchdowns, to go with 613 rushing yards and 7 TDs. 

Marcel Reed, Texas A&M - Reed has the #3 Aggies vying for a National Championship with their best record (10-0) since 1992. He has 2,632 passing yards and 22 touchdowns to go with 391 yards on the ground and 6 TDs. He rallied A&M to a 28-point come-from-behind win against South Carolina, plus led the team to road wins at Notre Dame and LSU. 

Gunner Stockton, Georgia - The alpha dog for another powerful squad, Stockton’s leadership, plus his talented arm and legs have pushed the 9-1 Bulldogs to a #4 ranking. Highlights include a five-touchdown performance in a win over Texas and a come-from-behind victory over Ole Miss. For the year, he’s passed for 2,269 yards, scored 27 touchdowns (19 passing/8 running) and posted a 90.1 QBR (#3 in the nation).

The 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® winner will be announced in the coming weeks. The annual Golden Arm Award ceremony presented by A. O. Smith is set to take place in Baltimore, Maryland on December 12.

Sharing a tradition of innovation with Johnny Unitas—who revolutionized the game with the two-minute drill — A. O. Smith has been a leader in its field for more than a century. The company designs, builds, and supports the world’s most extensive line of residential and commercial water heaters and boilers, combining performance, reliability, and innovation.

For more information on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, visit GoldenArmAward.com or follow along on social media: X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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