Louisville QB Malik Cunningham found himself named to yet another national award watch list. This time it is the Manning Award Watch List. This award, sponsored by the All State Sugar Bowl, is given to the nation’s best quarterback and is the only QB award to take bowl game performance into account. A voting panel of national media and the Mannings will cast their vote for whom they deem to be the nation’s best QB.
Cunningham is coming off a season where he rushed for 1031 yards and 20 TDs and passed for 2941 yards and 19 TDs. He completed 62-percent of his passes and averaged 6.0 yards a carry when rushing the ball. With Cunningham’s expected jump in efficiency and production, coupled with an expected increase in victories on the field, Cunningham should be in the thick of the race for the Manning Award by season’s end.
Below, you can read more about the Manning Award and Cunningham’s inclusion on the watch list:
Press Release From Louisville Athletics:
Louisville’s Cunningham Named To Manning Award Watch List
NEW ORLEANS – University of Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham was named to the Manning Award Watch List, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The list includes 30 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2022 season. The winner will be selected after the bowls by a voting panel, including national media and each of the Mannings.
The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the collegiate football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ bowl performances in the balloting.
Entering his fourth season as a starter, Cunningham has passed for 7,889 career yards and 62 career touchdowns. He ranks second all-time at UofL for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 38, seventh with 62 career touchdown passes and second with 100 touchdowns responsible for. He is the only Cardinals quarterback to have nine completions passes of at least 75 yards.
The redshirt-senior posted career-best totals last season, passing for 2,841 yards and 20 touchdowns. He finished fifth in the ACC in rushing and ranked fourth nationally in rushing touchdowns, leading the ACC. Cunningham rushed a season high 22 times for 134 yards and two scores versus Clemson, passing for 174 yards.
Through the air, Cunningham passed for 303 yards and rushed 224 yards scoring a season-high seven touchdowns against Duke. He recorded a career-high 309 passing yards against Wake Forest.
The Montgomery, Ala. native became the second player in school history with 2,800 passing yards and 19 rushing and passing touchdowns in a season.
Inclusion on the Watch List is not necessary for the quarterbacks to be selected for the honor. Additional quarterbacks are expected to be added to the Watch List during the season. Finalists will be selected prior to the postseason and the winner will be announced following the College Football Playoff National Championship.
