By Blake Dowson
Another day, another preseason nod for Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard and cornerback Desmond King.
Beathard and King have been common names on different college football-award watch lists this summer, and the list got longer over the weekend. Both players were named to the Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list on July 15. Considering there are only 40 players named on the list, it is quite impressive Iowa has two players included. King was one of the five finalists for the award a year ago.
The Detroit native was also named to the Paul Hornung Award watch list on July 15, an award given out annually to the most versatile player in college football. Although King’s interception numbers will likely go down this season because of the sheer volume of balls being thrown his way likely falling drastically, he stands to have a decent shot at winning the award if he continues to be a threat returning punts and kicks.
King has also been named to the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski Award watch lists, both given out to the best defensive player in college football, as well as the Jim Thorpe Award, which he won last year as the nation’s best defensive back.
Beathard was honored as a preseason selection onto the Davey O’Brien Award watch list on July 14, given each year to college football’s best quarterback. If Beathard were to win the award, given out in early December, he would be the third Hawkeye to do so, joining Chuck Long in 1985 and Brad Banks in 2002.
Both Long and Banks finished as runners-up for the Heisman Trophy in their O’Brien-winning seasons.
Leshun Daniels Jr. was also recognized over the weekend, being named to the Doak Walker Award watch list. The Walker is given to the nation’s best running back each year.
Although Daniels hasn’t gone a full year without injuries while at Iowa, he is slotted as the starting running back for an Iowa team that has an offensive line voted as the best in the country by ESPN, so an Iowa back wasn’t going to be left off the list.
That being said, if Daniels does stay healthy, he could have a huge year. He’s built like Hawkeye backs of the past who have had success, namely Shonn Greene, who won the Walker in 2008.
He was also named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list earlier this summer, given to the player that best combines exemplary community service with athletics and academic achievement.