Three Hoosiers Named Semi-Finalists For National Awards

Ty Fryfogle has been the Hoosiers best receiver in 2020 Image: Indiana University Athletics

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The 2020 football season is drawing to a close and that means national award watchlists are turning into semi-finalist lists. On Monday three Hoosier players were named to various national award watch lists. Ty Fryfogle was named a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top receiver, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was named a semi-finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award for the nation’s top quarterback and Haydon Whitehead was named a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award for the nation’s top punter.

Fryfogle has had a season that was highlighted by three straight career games. He currently leads the Hoosiers in receiving yards (687) and touchdowns (7) and he is second on the team in receptions with 34. He is averaging over 20 yards per catch.

Michael Penix Jr. Image: Indiana University Athletics

Penix was having a tremendous year before being injured against Maryland. His name caught fire because of his game winning two-point conversion against then 8th ranked Penn State and his monster five-touchdown 491-yard performance against Ohio State. He finished the year playing in six game and completing 124-of-220 passes for 1,645 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Whitehead, who was name this week’s Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, has also had a phenomenal season. In 2020, the graduate student from Melbourne, Australia, is averaging 42.4 yards on 36 punts with a long of 55, six 50-yarders and nine inside the 20. Opponents have only returned two punts for 14 yards.

Award winners will be announced announced live on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, on the 30th annual The Home Depot College Football Awards, which will be held virtually from 7-8:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.