Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter (11) celebrates after a tackle during the second half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State junior quarterback Drew Allar was named to the nominees for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Manning Award, while junior defensive end Abdul Carter was selected to the nominees list for the Lombardi Award. Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane and redshirt senior+ defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas landed on the nominees list for the Polynesian Player of the Year Award.
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually to the best quarterback in high school or higher.
The Manning Award recognizes the nation’s best quarterback. It was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to honor the accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning in college football. It is the only quarterback award whose voting takes into account the candidates’ postseason performance.
Established in 1970, the Lombardi Award is given to an outstanding lineman who best embodies the values of leadership, courage, achievement and discipline on and off the field.
The Polynesian Player of the Year award is given by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.
Drew Allar · Jr. · QB · 6-5 · 238 · Medina, Ohio · Medina
Named to the watch lists for the Davey O’Brien Award and the Maxwell Award.
Received honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from coaches and media in 2023.
Enters the 2024 season ranking first in school history in pass interception percentage (0.45), third in pass completion percentage (59.7), seventh in touchdown pass percentage (6.46), and seventh in pass efficiency (135.8).
Was in the starting lineup for all 13 games last season.
Was a member of the Danny O’Brien Award Class of 2023.
He completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns (two interceptions) while scoring four touchdowns.
Set Penn State’s single-season record for lowest interception percentage (0.51) and became the first quarterback in school history to throw 10 or more touchdowns before throwing an interception in a season.
His 25 touchdown passes tied for the third-most in a season at Penn State. He ranked fifth in touchdowns accounted for (29), sixth in completions (233), seventh in attempts (389), ninth in completion percentage (59.9) and ninth in games with passes of 200 yards or more (7).
Ranked second nationally in touchdown-to-interception ratio (12.5:1).
He is tied with the Big Ten leader in passing touchdowns (25; T-18th nationally) and ranks second in points responsible (176; T-26th), fourth in passing efficiency (136.9) and passing yards (2,631), and fifth in yards per pass attempt (6.76).
Along with Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker (2022), he is the only FBS quarterback to ever throw more than 25 touchdown passes and 2 or fewer interceptions in a season.
Began the 2023 season with 251 pass attempts without an interception, the sixth-most at the start of a season since 2000, surpassed only by Louisiana Tech’s Colby Cameron (428; 2012), Oregon’s Marcus Mariota (285; 2013), Western Kentucky’s Tyrrell Pigrome (278; 2020), NC State’s Ryan Finley (274; 2017) and West Virginia’s Geno Smith (273; 2012).
He began his career with 311 pass attempts without an interception, surpassing the FBS record set by Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (209 attempts in 2008).
In his first career start, Allar threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns against West Virginia and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
The Ohio native set a career high with four passing touchdowns against Indiana and scored one passing and one rushing touchdown at Northwestern.
Collected three passing touchdowns and a rushing score against UMass and threw three touchdowns against Indiana.
Threw for 240 yards and four touchdowns at Maryland and finished the regular season with 292 yards and two touchdowns at Michigan State.
Threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss.
Abdul Carter · Jr. · DE · 6-3 · 259 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · La Salle College High School
Named to the watchlists for the Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
Nominated for the Preseason All-America Team with the Walter Camp Award.
He was selected to the All-Big Ten first team by the coaches and to the second team by the media.
Selected to the second team All-American by Sports Illustrated.
He won Penn State’s Keystone Award in defense, sharing the honor with Kevin Winston Jr.
Named to the All-Big Ten second team by the media and to the All-Big Ten third team by the coaches in 2022.
Moved from linebacker to defensive end after the 2023 season.
Entering his third season in Happy Valley, he has 104 tackles (61 solo), 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and nine pass breakups.
Recorded 48 tackles (25 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, five pass breakups and five QB hurries in 2023.
· His 24.1% pass rush win rate ranked third in the FBS among players with at least 100 pass rush snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Started the 2023 season with a solo sack in the fourth quarter against West Virginia.
Made his first interception against Illinois and recorded a career-high nine tackles and a pass breakup against Ohio State.
Secured a solo sack against Maryland and forced a fumble against Michigan.
He reached a career high with two sacks at Michigan State.
Olaivavega Ioane · R-So. · OL · 6-4 · 346 · Graham, Washington · Graham-Kapowsin
Has played in 17 games throughout his career, including five starts.
Named honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media in 2023.
Made 13 appearances last season and was in the starting eleven five times.
Was named Offensive Player of the Game by the coaching staff after the Iowa game.
According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed only three sacks in 341 pass-blocking snaps.
Helped Penn State rush for at least 400 yards in six games, including a season-high 586 yards at Michigan State.
Penn State did not allow a sack against Delaware, Iowa or Rutgers.
The Nittany Lions ran for over 200 yards in five games and threw for at least 200 yards in eight games.
The Nittany Lions scored multiple rushing touchdowns in eight games this season.
Dvon J-Thomas · R-Sr+. · DT · 6-1 · 304 · Burtonsville, Md. · McDonogh School
Has played in 43 games throughout his career and was in the starting eleven 10 times.
Earned his degree in telecommunications from Penn State.
Named honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media in 2023.
Received the team’s Ridge Riley Memorial Award along with Malick Meiga.
Enters 2024 with 59 career tackles (30 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.
· In 2023, he recorded 26 tackles (14 solo), five tackles for loss and one QB hurry.
· According to Pro Football Focus, he ranks seventh among Big Ten defensive linemen with five tackles for loss or no gain on running plays.
· Recorded a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss and a career-high five tackles against UMass.
· Assisted on two tackles, including a half-tackle for a loss, at Ohio State.
· Made two tackles and assisted on one for loss at Maryland.
· Had a half-tackle yardage loss against Rutgers and a full-tackle yardage loss at Michigan State.
The preseason watch list, semifinalists, finalists and award winners are selected by the esteemed Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers and former players. Johnny Unitas was an 18-year veteran of the NFL who played his college career at Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts.
This year’s winner will receive the Golden Arm Award trophy at the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore on December 6, 2024.
The finalists for the Manning Award are selected before the postseason and the winner is announced after the College Football Playoff National Championship.
The Lombardi Award Dinner 2024 will take place on December 11, 2024.
The five finalists for the 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year award will be announced on December 3, and the winner will be announced on December 17. The awards ceremony will take place during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on January 18, 2025, at the Sheraton Waikiki. They will also be honored during the Polynesian Bowl on January 17.
Penn State Football listed on preseason watch lists:
Drew Allar – Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award
Kaytron Allen – Doak Walker Award
Abdul Carter – Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Nagurski Trophy, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
Dani Dennis-Sutton – Lott IMPACT Trophy
Tyler Duzansky – Mannelly Award
Olaivavega Ioane – Polynesian Player of the Year Award
Dvon J-Thomas – Polynesian Player of the Year Award
Kobe King – Butkus Award
Chase Meyer – Lou Groza Award
Nicholas Singleton – Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award, Paul Hornung Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
Riley Thompson – Ray Guy Award
Tyler Warren – Mackey Award
Kevin Winston Jr. – Bednarik Prize
Sal Wormley – Outland Trophy
Penn State’s season opener at West Virginia on Aug. 31 will be televised at noon on FOX. The Nittany Lions return 42 key players from last year’s roster – 17 on offense, 22 on defense and three on special teams. They also return 16 starters – seven on offense, seven on defense and two on special teams.
