Ole Miss’ QB Chad Kelly named to Golden Arm Award Watch List

Ole Miss senior quarterback Chad Kelly was named to the 2016 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list on Thursday. The award is presented annually at the end of each season to the nation’s top college quarterback and is based on character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and athletic accomplishments.

Chad Kelly finished 19-of-34 for 280 yards in the air and two TDs in the 2015 win over LSU. He also scored two rushing TDs. (Photo credit: Joshua McCoy)

Candidates for the award must be a senior or fourth year junior on schedule to graduate with their class.

Kelly, 6-foot-2, 224-pounds, comes into his final season with the Rebels as the face of the offense after last year’s record-breaking season. The Buffalo, New York native threw for 4,042 yards and was responsible for 41 touchdowns. His 4,542 total yards and passing yards were the third most in a season in Southeastern Conference history.

His 41 touchdowns are tied for seventh all-time in league records.

Before appearing on the Golden Arm Award watch list, Kelly’s talents were earlier recognized by other preseason watch lists. He also appears on the Davey O’ Brien, Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards watch lists.

At SEC Football Media Days last month, Kelly beat out Tennessee senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who’s also on the Golden Arm Award watch list, as the signal caller for the SEC’s first-team offense that was voted upon by the media in Hoover, Alabama.

Four SEC QBs named to watch list

Kelly and Dobbs are two of four quarterbacks from the SEC to be named to the Golden Arm Award watch list. The others are former Oklahoma and current Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight and Florida’s Luke Del Rio.

For the complete list of those named to the watch list, please click here.

Courtney Smith

Courtney is from Memphis and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Memphis in May of 2014. He began his journalism career covering the Memphis Tigers Men’s basketball team, which landed him an intern position on 730 Yahoo Sports Radio and a position with Rivals.com. A freelance writer for the Associated Press, Courtney is also a member of The Rebel Walk team and reports regularly on Ole Miss football and basketball. Courtney, the father of a six-year old girl named Soniyah, prefers to cover NCAA basketball and football, but is happy to report on any other sport that comes his way.