Idaho’s Matt Linehan named to Unitas watch list

Idaho senior quarterback Matt Linehan was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List on Wednesday.

A second-team all-Sun Belt selection, Linehan was outstanding in 2016. He took home Famous Idaho Potato Bowl MVP honors after going 21 of 31 for 381 yards and four touchdowns to help Idaho take down Colorado State. On the season, Linehan finished first in the conference with 3,184 passing yards and second with 19 touchdowns.

With one season left to play, Linehan has already put himself in the mix as one of the best quarterbacks in program history. He currently sits in fifth all-time with 8,696 passing yards, while his 46 career touchdowns are sixth best in team history. Linehan is currently in third in program history with a 61.1 completion percentage.

The 2017 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award boasts 47 standout quarterbacks from different divisions and conferences across the nation. The Golden Arm Award is presented at the end of each football season and the winner is selected based on his accomplishments both on and off the field. Candidates must be a college senior or fourth-year junior on schedule to graduate with their class.

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation.

The Golden Arm Award committee will announce the Top 15 finalists for the 2017 Golden Arm Award in September. The 30th anniversary presentation of the Golden Arm Award will be held on Dec. 8 at the Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor & Grand.

Linehan joins teammates Aikeem Coleman (Nagurski) and Kaden Elliss (Wuerffel) on preseason watch lists.