Diego Pavia Wins Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
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Diego Pavia has been named the winner of the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is presented annually, since 1987, to the “top upperclassmen quarterback” who has excelled on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. Finalists for this year also included Georgia Tech QB Haynes King, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, and Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed. Diego Pavia is the first Vanderbilt Quarterback to win the award in program history.
Read the full press relaease from the The Golden Arm Foundation – HERE
Diego Pavia built on a phenomenal 2024 season and improved dramatically as a passer in 2025, upping his completion percentage from 59.4% in 2024 to 71.2%. Pavia accounted for 4,018 total yards of offense, 3,192 through the air as well as 826 on the ground, finishing first in the country among P4 Quarterbacks and only surpassed by USF’s Byrum Brown. He also accounted for 36 total touchdowns, setting a school record with 27 passing touchdowns and another 9 on the ground. As Vanderbilt fans are well aware, on top of the impressive statistical performances, Pavia led the Commodores to their first 10 win season in program history.
Previous Golden Arm Award Winners
Let’s take a look at previous winners of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award –
2024: Shedeur Sanders – Colorado
2023: Jayden Daniels – LSU (Heisman Winner)
2022: Max Duggan – TCU
2021: Kenny Pickett – Pitt
2020: Mac Jones – Alabama
2019: Joe Burrow – LSU (Heisman Winner)
2018: Gardner Minshew – Washington State
2017: Mason Rudolph – Oklahoma State
2016: Deshaun Watson – Clemson
2015: Connor Cook – Michigan State
2014: Marcus Mariota – Oregon (Heisman Winner)
While this award is an honor and recognition that is much deserved , Diego Pavia also has his sights set on the highest award in all of college football – the Heisman trophy. So, how have previous award winners fared in the Heisman race?
Jayden Daniels, (2023), Joe Burrow (2019), and Marcus Mariota (2014) all won the Heisman Trophy as well as the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Keep in mind, winners of the following years were quarterbacks who did not qualify for the Johnny Unitas award as they were underclassmen – Caleb Williams (2022), Bryce Young (2021), and Lamar Jackson (2016).
Other years, another position has won the Heisman Trophy Award – Derrick Henry (2015), DeVonta Smith (2020), and Travis Hunter (2024). This year appears to be a tight race between 3 quarterbacks – Fernando Mendoza (Golden Arm Eligible), Julian Sayin (not eligible), and Diego Pavia (Winner). If my math is right and this logic makes any sense – Baker Mayfield (2017), and Kyler Murray (2018) are the only two eligible Quarterbacks since 2014 who have won the Heisman without also winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Does this mean anything? I don’t think so but it was fun to dive into.
Congratulations, Diego
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