With six weeks to go until IU football kicks off its season against Iowa, junior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been named to the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award, given annually to the top quarterback in the country since 1981.
Penix, one of 30 players named to the watch list, threw for 1645 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions in six games last season before tearing his ACL in the third quarter of IU’s 27-11 win over Maryland on Nov. 28, 2020. He tore the same ACL in a 33-28 loss to No. 12 Penn State on Oct. 20, 2018.
Despite the injury, the expectation this offseason has been that Penix will be healthy for the team’s week one matchup, according to head coach Tom Allen in a Zoom conference March 8.
In the last few weeks, Penix has been recorded throwing, once on his Instagram story with graduate transfer wide receiver D.J. Matthews at Memorial Stadium, and another at the Manning Passing Academy, where he served as a camp counselor.
IU’s week one matchup with Iowa is scheduled for 3:30 on Saturday, Sept. 4, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, and will be broadcasted on BTN.
