With the recent success of the Indiana football program, it’s no surprise that three Hoosiers were selected as semifinalists for season awards in college football.
Starting at quarterback, redshirt sophomore Michael Penix Jr. was named a semifinalist to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award on Monday.
Prior to his suffering a torn ACL in his right knee for the second time in his college career at Indiana, Penix threw for 1,645 passing yards while completing 56.4 percent of his passes in six games played in 2020. Penix compiled 14 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and threw only four interceptions during the season.
Only Penix and Justin Fields of Ohio State were the only Big Ten quarterbacks selected as semi finalists for the award. Other notable quarterbacks on the list include Ian Book of Notre Dame, Sam Ehlinger of Texas, Mac Jones of Alabama, and Trevor Lawrence of Clemson.
Despite being out for the season, Penix leads Fields and the rest of the Big Ten in passing yards.
From the pass throwers to the pass catchers, Indiana senior wide receiver Ty Fryfogle was named as one of 11 semi finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the top wideout in college football.
From the pass throwers to the pass catchers, Indiana senior wide receiver Ty Fryfogle was named as one of 11 semi finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the top wideout in college football.
Fryfogle is the first Hoosier to be named a semi finalist for the award since James Hardy did it in 2007, and is the only Big Ten player on the list.
Fryfogle has torched some of the top historically dominant Big Ten teams in the nation, including back-to-back 200 receiving yard performances against Michigan State and Ohio State. Following that two-game stretch, Fryfogle became the first player in Big Ten history to accomplish that feat.
Overall, Fryfogle leads all Big Ten receivers in receiving yards (687), and is second in the conference in touchdowns (7). Fryfogle has 34 receptions on the season.
Finally, senior punter Haydon Whitehead is one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, given to the top punter in college football.
Through 36 punts this season, Whitehead is averaging over 42 yards per punt this season. Whitehead has pinned 81 punts inside the 20-yard line in his career with the Hoosiers.
Tory Taylor of Iowa is the only other Big Ten punter named to the list.
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