IU Quarterback Michael Penix and Wide Receiver Ty Fryfogle Named to Maxwell Award Watch List

IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana senior wide receiver Ty Fryfogle and redshirt junior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. earned spots on the watch list for the 85th Maxwell Award powered by Mammoth Tech, presented annually to the outstanding player in college football, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday morning. Penix is on the list for the second time in as many years.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sports writer and football official.

The full watch list consists of 80 players, with Indiana one of 14 schools having two players represented.

Fryfogle became the first IU wideout since James Hardy (2007) to collect All-America status when he was honored as a 2020 third-teamer by the Associated Press. 

The first Hoosier in program history to be named the Big Ten's Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year, Fryfogle also collected first-team all-conference honors. One of 11 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, Fryfogle became the first receiver in B1G history to record back-to-back 200-yard games, the first Indiana wideout to reach 200 yards twice, and the first Hoosier since Nate Sudfeld (2015) to claim back-to-back Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.

A native of Lucedale, Miss., Fryfogle led the team with 721 yards (4th in the Big Ten), 90.1 yards per game (5th, 29th nationally), seven touchdowns (T-3rd, T-30th), and 19.5 yards per reception (3rd, 23rd). He finished second with 37 catches (T-9th) and 4.6 grabs per game.
 
Fryfogle is the 21st Hoosier to reach 100 receptions (112) and 1,500 yards (1,719). He is 16th on the program's career yardage list and 25th in career catches.
 
A 2020 team captain, Penix was one of 17 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien Award, a second-team All-Big Ten honoree (coaches, media), and IU's Anthony Thompson Most Valuable Player alongside linebacker Micah McFadden.
 
The Tampa native completed 124-of-220 (56.4 percent) for 1,645 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he rushed for a pair of TDs. He averaged a Big Ten-leading 274.2 yards per game (18th nationally) and recorded a 136.54 pass-efficiency rating.
 
Penix started all six games in which he appeared before he suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Maryland win (Nov. 28). Entering the Terrapins game, he led the league in passing yardage, passing yardage per game (312.2, 9th nationally), passing scores, completions, attempts, 60-yard passing plays (4, T-2nd), 50-yarders (6, T-7th), 40-yarders (tied 6, T-33rd), and 30-yarders (11, T-39th).
 
The southpaw owns a 10-2 record as a starter and is 255-of-414 (61.6, 2nd in program history) for 3,258 yards with 25 touchdowns, eight INTs, and a 143.8 pass-efficiency rating in 15 games. He has 189 yards on the ground on 47 attempts (4.0 average) with four TDs.
 
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF), XOS ThunderCloud and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, and several senior PFF analysts are members of our selection committee. Phil Steele's College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine. XOS ThunderCloud provides the Maxwell Club selection committee with access to game footage from all FBS colleges.
 
Semifinalists will be announced Nov. 1, while the three finalists will be unveiled Nov. 22. The winner will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 9. The formal presentations of the award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Tropicana Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 11, 2022.

Questions concerning the 2021 Maxwell Award watch list can be directed to MFC Executive Director Mark Wolpert mwolpert@maxwellfootballclub.org or MFC Vice President of College Awards Rich Cirminiello rcirminiello@maxwellfootballclub.org.

The Maxwell Award is proudly sponsored by Mammoth Tech and The Athletes' Corner, which are Executive Partners of the Maxwell Football Club.

ABOUT MAMMOTH TECH - Mammoth Tech is one of America's most versatile outsourcing companies. Their clients have included a Top-10 Global Restaurant Company, a Top-15 U.S. Healthcare System with over 80,000 employees, and they're currently one of 13 companies holding the United States Department of Education Default Collection Services Contract. Since being founded in 1964, Mammoth has developed a coast-to-coast presence with approximately 500 employees spanning 6 corporate locations and 7 subcontractor locations. They believe in building up the communities where people work, which is why many of their locations are in HUB Zones or economically-distressed Opportunity Zones. Mammoth lives by a "People-First" mentality, as they help businesses of all sizes achieve maximum efficiency and productivity.

ABOUT THE ATHLETES' CORNER – The Athletes' Corner works with professional athletes and teams to strengthen families who are struggling mentally, physically, and spiritually - all through the vehicle of sports. Partnering with Feeding America®, they launched an initiative called 'The Athletes' Corner vs. Hunger', which has already provided 1.7 million meals to hungry families since November 1st, 2020.

ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, Mammoth Tech and the Athletes' Corner. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
The Maxwell Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.