MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior quarterback Will Howard added to his preseason accolades on Tuesday as he was named to the watch list for the 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc.

Howard is one of 48 quarterbacks in the nation to be named to the initial watch list, and it is the ninth time a Wildcat has been up for the award. Most notably, current K-State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Collin Klein was the 2012 recipient, while Chad May and Michael Bishop were finalists in 1994 and 1998, respectively. It is the fifth-straight year a K-State signal caller is a candidate as Skylar Thompson was on the watch lists in 2019, 2020 and 2021, while Adrian Martinez was a candidate last year.

Howard broke out over the second half of the 2022 season as he led Kansas State to a Big 12 Championship with a 31-28 overtime victory over No. 3 TCU in the title game. Howard enters the 2023 campaign ranked eighth in school history in career passing yards per game (142.9), and 10th in both career passing efficiency (130.9) and career touchdowns responsible for (34). He is also one passing touchdown shy of tying for 10th in school history for a career, while he needs 1,258 passing yards to enter the school’s career top-10 list.

Howard threw for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions on 119-of-199 aim last season as he ranked eighth in school history with a 149.6 passer rating. He recorded multiple touchdown passes in six-straight games, the longest streak ever by a Wildcat in a single season. Included in that stretch was a school-record tying four touchdown passes in a 48-0 victory over Oklahoma State, a game in which he also set career highs in passing yards (296) and completions (21).

His inclusion on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list is his fourth of the preseason as he was also named a candidate for the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Wuerffel Trophy.

K-State opens the 2023 season next Saturday with a 6 p.m., contest against SEMO inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Tickets to the seven-game home slate can be purchased online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets or by phone at 1-800-221-CATS.