BALTIMORE (JMU Athletics) – James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III added to his preseason laurels on Tuesday by being named to the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List, the organization announced.

Now in its 39th year, the Golden Arm Award continues to honor excellence both on and off the field by recognizing quarterbacks for their on-field talent, character, and leadership.

Barnett is the first player in JMU program history to be recognized on the watch list for the Golden Arm Award.

This is the third preseason watch list the Whitsett, N.C., product has been included on, joining nods from the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards. He was also named Preseason Second Team All-Sun Belt ahead of the 2025 campaign.

A season ago, the now redshirt junior was an Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt selection after accounting for 3,040 total yards of offense with 33 touchdowns. His performance also led him to be named the Virginia Sports Information Directors Offensive Player and the Touchdown Club of Richmond Division I State Quarterback of the Year.

This season’s list showcases 58 of the nation’s premier collegiate signal callers who are seniors or upperclassmen set to graduate with their class. Joining Barnett on the list as one of two student-athletes hailing from the Sun Belt Conference is JC French IV of Georgia Southern.

The preseason watch list, semifinalists, finalists, and award recipients are selected by the distinguished Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, and former players.

The winner of the award will be honored at the annual Golden Arm Award ceremony in December.

Johnny Unitas, the award’s namesake, was an 18-year veteran of the NFL who played his collegiate years at the University of Louisville before beginning his storied career in 1958 with the then-named Baltimore Colts.

— JMU Athletics —