By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — App State senior quarterback Joey Aguilar has been named to the preseason watch lists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Manning Award.
Aguilar is one of 29 candidates for the Manning Award, which was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ postseason performances in its balloting.
Johnny Unitas, an 18-year veteran of the NFL, played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns.
Aguilar is also on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which recognizes the most outstanding player in college football, and the Davey O’Brien Award, which recognizes the nation’s top returning college quarterbacks.
Aguilar’s 33 touchdown passes during the 2023 regular season allowed him to rank fifth nationally for the entire season, which he finished with additional school records of 3,757 passing yards and 4,002 yards of total offense. He’s the nation’s only returning quarterback who had 33-plus touchdown passes and 3,700-plus passing yards in 2023.
