Indiana's Michael Penix Jr. on Unitas Award Watch List

The preseason accolades continue to roll in for Indiana redshirt junior quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was named to the Unitas Award watch list on Thursday.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Add another preseason honor to the list for Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. 

On Thursday, the school announced that Penix has made the Unitas Award Watch List. The Golden Arm Award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the distinguished Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, and former players. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on-and-off the field.

"When he gets comfortable it that pocket, it is game on."@IndianaFootball QB @themikepenix kicks off the top 🔟 of @RIP_JEP's 𝗝𝗣𝟯𝟬 countdown of @B1Gfootball's top players. pic.twitter.com/soyZMQaEOf

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 18, 2021

Penix, a Tampa, Fla. 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 is also on watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, and the Manning Award, and he was one of 10 players to receive Big Ten preseason honors.

Here is the complete release from the school:

PENIX SELECTED TO UNITAS AWARD WATCH LIST

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana redshirt junior Michael Penix Jr. is on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc., along with presenting sponsor A. O. Smith Corporation announced on Thursday afternoon. Penix is also on watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, and the Manning Award, and he was one of 10 players to receive Big Ten preseason honors.

The Golden Arm Award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the distinguished Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, and former players. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on-and-off the field.

The namesake of the Golden Arm Award has a storied history. Johnny Unitas was an 18-year veteran of the NFL, who played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards, 290 touchdowns and throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games.

Penix was a 2020 team captain, 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 2021 award winner will be presented the Golden Arm Award trophy by The Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation President, John Unitas, Jr., at the Golden Arm Award banquet and celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, MD on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021.

Giving life to the commitment to give back, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and presenting sponsor A. O. Smith continue to promote football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young scholar athletes. A. O. Smith is committed to creating innovative solutions that set new standards for their industry.

Sharing a tradition of innovation with Johnny Unitas, who invented football's two-minute drill, A. O. Smith has been an innovator in its industry for more than a century. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and supports the world's broadest and deepest line of residential and commercial water heaters, as well as commercial boilers. This single-source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by 80 years of research and innovation.

The learn more about the 2021 Watch List and to watch the full reveal, please visit: 2021 Watch List Unveil. For more information on the Golden Arm Award, please visit: Golden Arm Award. Additionally, follow the conversation throughout the college football season on Twitter, @GoldenArmAward, and use the hashtags #GoldenArmAward and #InnovationLeaders.

Sponsors of the Golden Arm Award Presented by A. O. Smith Corporation include: MedStar Sports Medicine, The Babe Ruth Museum, Century Engineering, Comcast, Dunbar Security Solutions, Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, Haddock Investments, Harvey Agency, HMS Insurance Associates, Inc., Milwaukee Tool, Encore , TRAY, AE2 Creative, Wolf Professional Security, and ZBest Executive & Global Transportation Services.

About A. O. Smith
A. O. Smith Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial water heaters. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and supports the world's broadest and deepest line of residential and commercial water heaters, as well as commercial boilers. This single source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by 80 years of research and innovation. For the most up-to-date A. O. Smith news, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and visit http://www.hotwater.com/.

Indiana Football 2021 Preseason Watch Lists
Dodd Trophy – Tom Allen
Maxwell Award – Ty Fryfogle, Michael Penix Jr.
Bednarik Award – Micah McFadden, Tiawan Mullen
Davey O'Brien Award – Michael Penix Jr.
Doak Walker Award – Stephen Carr
B1G Preseason Honors – Michael Penix Jr.
Biletnikoff Award – Ty Fryfogle
John Mackey Award – Peyton Hendershot
Jim Thorpe Award – Tiawan Mullen
Butkus Award – Micah McFadden
Nagurski Trophy – Micah McFadden, Tiawan Mullen
Outland Trophy – Matthew Bedford
Lou Groza Award – Charles Campbell
Wuerffel Trophy – Michael Ziemba
Paul Hornung Award – D.J. Matthews Jr.
Walter Camp Player of the Year Award – Michael Penix Jr.
Manning Award – Michael Penix Jr.
Rotary Lombardi Award – Micah McFadden
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award – Camron Buckley
Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award – Sio Nofoagatoto'a
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award – Michael Penix Jr.