OSU Quarterback Alan Bowman Named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

Alan Bowman has the opportunity to join Mason Rudolph in Cowboy lore.

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award released its preseason watch list on Wednesday, which included Bowman, Oklahoma State’s quarterback. The award is given to the nation’s best upperclassman quarterback, and candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field, character, scholastic achievement and leadership qualities.

The award has been handed out annually since 1987. Rudolph is the only Cowboy to have claimed the award, doing so in 2017 after throwing for 4,779 yards and 37 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Other notable award winners include Joe Burrow, Marcus Mariota, Andrew Luck, Colt McCoy, Matt Leinart and Peyton Manning.

Bowman joined the Cowboys ahead of the 2023 season after spending time at Texas Tech and Michigan. In his first season with the Pokes, Bowman threw for 3,460 yards and 15 touchdowns. He led the Big 12 in pass attempts last season with 501 — 104 attempts more than second place Donovan Smith (Houston). Bowman finished third in passing yards in the league behind only Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma) and Quinn Ewers (Texas). All that came after Bowman started the year in a three-man rotation at quarterback in Stillwater.

Now entering his seventh season of college eligibility, Bowman has thrown for 8,789 yards and 49 touchdowns in his career at this point, with 5,260 of those yards and 33 of those touchdowns coming in his three seasons at Texas Tech.

With his lengthy tenure in college football, it was a question as to whether Bowman would be able to return for a seventh season, but he announced on Jan. 4 that he had been granted a waiver. It’s somewhat funny that this award is given to an upperclassman quarterback. Had Bowman started his career in 2022, he could be an upperclassman this season. His career started in 2018, making it tough for him to be more upper.

Rocco Becht (Iowa State), Jalon Daniels (Kansas), Noah Fifita (Arizona), Dequan Finn (Baylor), Garrett Greene (West Virginia), KJ Jefferson (UCF), Behren Morton (Texas Tech), Cameron Rising (Utah), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Smith (Houston) and Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati) join Bowman as Big 12 quarterbacks on the 63-man list. Here is that full list: