The preseason awards lists keeps getting longer and longer for a pair of senior Hawkeye football players.
By Mario Williams
The off-season for Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard and cornerback Desmond King is beginning to sound like a bit of a broken record. It seems each day brings new honors bestowed upon the two senior leaders, and Monday was no different.
Beathard and King were named to the sixth-annual Big Ten football preseason honors list, which puts both of the Hawkeye players among the conference’s elite. A media panel made the selections.
The list has 10 players from the Big Ten, and the Hawkeyes are one of only three teams to have numerous selections on the list.
Northwestern running back Justin Jackson and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. made the list, as well as Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett and linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
The rest of the group includes Wisconsin running back Corey Clement, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, Michigan State defensive lineman Malik McDowell, and Michigan defensive back Jabrill Peppers.
Two previous Hawkeyes have been on the preseason honor roll, most center Austin Blythe making the list last season and tackle Brandon Scherff being named in 2014.
Beathard started all 14 games for the Hawkeyes last season, passing for 2,809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions while rushing for 237 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also earned second-team All-Big Ten honors by coaches and members of the media and third-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele at the end of Iowa’s successful season.
King also started all 14 games at cornerback last year, tying Iowa’s single-season record and ranking second in the country with 8 interceptions while also making 72 tackles and a team-high 13 pass breakups. King was also behind most of Iowa’s success on punt returns and kickoff returns, averaging 14.2 years on 17 punt returns and 24.4 yards on 29 kickoff returns.
Aside from the Big Ten football preseason honors list, Beathard has been named to the Maxwell Trophy Watch List, Davey O’Brien Award Watch List, and Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List.
King was also named to the Bednarik Award Watch List, Nugurski Trophy Watch List, Jim Thorpe Award List, Paul Hornung Award Watch List, and Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List.
The two seniors will play a pivotal role for the Hawkeyes in 2016, and both will represent Iowa Tuesday at Big Ten media days, along with head coach Kirk Ferentz and junior linebacker Josey Jewell.
The Hawkeyes will open its 2016-17 season on Sep. 3, hosting Miami (Ohio) at 2:30 p.m. CDT.