IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard and defensive back Desmond King have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2016 Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year Award. The announcement was made Friday by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Beathard and King are among 40 players announced to the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Watch List, which includes 30 offensive players (15 quarterbacks, 11 running backs and four receivers) and 10 defensive players (5 linebackers, 5 defensive backs and 1 defensive end).
Beathard (6-foot-2, 209-pounds) started all 14 games at quarterback last season, passing for 2,809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while rushing for 237 yards and six touchdowns. The Franklin, Tennessee, native guided the Hawkeyes to an undefeated regular season (12-2 overall) and its first Rose Bowl since 1991
A team captain in 2015, Beathard earned second team All-Big Ten honors by league coaches and media and third team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele at the end of the season. Earlier this month, he was named to the Maxwell Trophy Watch List and the Davey O’Brien Award Watch List, presented annually to the National College Football Player of the Year and the National College Football Quarterback of the Year. He was also named preseason second team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports.
King (5-foot-11, 200-pounds) started all 14 games at cornerback a year ago, tying the Iowa single-season record and ranking second in the country with eight interceptions, while recording 72 tackles and a team-high 13 pass breakups. He also handled the majority of punt returns and kickoff returns last season, averaging 14.2 yards on 17 punt returns and 24.4 yards on 29 kickoff returns.
The Detroit, Michigan, native was named a unanimous consensus All-American, a recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award, and a recipient of the Jack Tatum Award in 2015. In addition, King was named one of five finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Conference Defensive Back of the Year, and was voted first team All-Big Ten by Walter Camp, Associated Press, AFCA, FWAA, Sporting News, USA Today, SI.com, ESPN.com, Athlon Spots, ProFootballFocus.com, Phil Steele, and College Sports Madness.
Friday’s honor marks the fifth preseason watch list King has been added to — he was named to the Bednarik Award Watch List, Nagurski Trophy Watch List, Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, and the Paul Hornung Award Watch List. In addition, Athlon Sports listed King as preseason first team All-America and All-Big Ten, preseason second team All-Big Ten (punt returns), and preseason third team All-Big Ten (kickoff returns).
Twelve players on the 2016 watch list, including King, a 2015 First Teamer, have previously earned Walter Camp All-America honors.
The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in mid-November. The 2016 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 128 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on ESPN on December 8. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation’s 50th annual national awards banquet on January 14, 2017 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.
Iowa opens the 2016 season at home on Sept. 3, hosting Miami (Ohio) inside Kinnick Stadium. Tickets are available for purchase by contacting the UI Athletic Ticket Office at (800) IA-HAWKS and online at hawkeyesports.com.
