BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Back home in command of the UB Bulls huddle, Cole Snyder is being considered among the top quarterbacks to watch in college football this season.

Snyder, a native of nearby Lakewood entering his second season at UB after transferring from Rutgers, has been named to the preseason watch lists for the Manning Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Joining UB’s all-time leading passer Joe Licata as the only quarterbacks in program history named to the Manning Award watch list, Snyder passed for 3,030 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, leading the Bulls to a 7-6 record and Camellia Bowl victory. Snyder also rushed for 145 yards and four touchdowns. He is the third player in UB history to pass for 3,000 yards, and the first to return the season after doing so.

A fifth-year senior, Snyder follows Drew Willy, Licata, Tyree Jackson and Kyle Vantrease as UB quarterbacks listed among preseason candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award given to the nation’s top upperclassman at the position. Willy was a top 10 finalist in 2008.

One of 33 quarterbacks, three from the Mid-American Conference, selected to the Manning Award list, Snyder and Ohio’s Kurtis Rourke are the only senior MAC quarterbacks on the 48-man Golden Arm Award list.

Snyder is one of seven UB football players on preseason watch lists. The others are:

Players to watch

LB Shaun Dolac (West Seneca East) — Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Chuck Bednarik Award

DE Max Michel — Allstate AFCA Good Works Team & Wuerffel Trophy

S Marcus Fuqua — Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award

DT Daymond Williams — Outland Trophy

K Alex McNulty — Lou Groza Award

RB Ron Cook Jr. — Paul Hornung Award