Boston College quarterback Grayson James has been named to the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List. The award is presented each year to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback in college football and is now in its thirty-ninth season.
This year’s watch list includes 58 college quarterbacks, with 13 representatives from the Atlantic Coast Conference. James, a redshirt senior from Duncanville, Texas, is entering his second year with Boston College after transferring from Florida International University. In the 2024 season, he appeared in six games, starting five of them. He completed 106 of 166 passes for 1,202 yards and recorded six passing touchdowns along with two interceptions. On the ground, he had 37 rush attempts for 79 yards and three touchdowns.
James earned the starting role for Boston College during the last month of the previous season after Thomas Castellanos was benched and later transferred to Florida State. Under James’s leadership, Boston College made a bowl game appearance for a second consecutive year.
During training camp leading into this season, James lost the starting job for Week one to Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan; however, Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien indicated that both players are expected to see action throughout the upcoming season.
“They’re both good. They’re both gonna play,” said O’Brien on Aug. 9 just days before Lonergan was announced as the starter. “Now, we won’t alternate them. One guy will start, but there may be other things that whoever the backup is can do. Both guys have done really well.”
Other ACC quarterbacks joining James on this year’s watch list include Clemson’s Cade Klubnik; Duke’s Darian Mensah; Castellanos at Florida State; Georgia Tech’s Haynes King; Louisville’s Miller Moss; Miami’s Carson Beck; Pitt’s Eli Holstein; SMU’s Kevin Jennings; Syracuse’s Steve Angeli; Virginia’s Chandler Morris; Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones and Wake Forest’s Robby Ashford.
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List announcement marks an early spotlight on candidates ahead of the collegiate football season.
