Hawkeyes C.J. Beathard, Desmond King land on preseason lists

IOWA CITY — Preseason college football watch list season is upon us and two Iowa football players were named to a pair of them on Tuesday morning.

Quarterback C.J. Beathard and cornerback Desmond King were tabbed to the Maxwell and Bednarik lists, respectively. The Maxwell Award goes to the nation's top player, while the country's top defender earns the Bednarik. Both players are seniors.

Beathard, who stands 6 feet, 2 inches and weighs 209 pounds, passed for 2,809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions last year while leading the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten West Division title and a Rose Bowl berth. Beathard, who was named second-team all-Big Ten, also rushed for 237 yards and six touchdowns. He won his first 13 starts at Iowa.

King, who claimed the Jim Thorpe Award last year as the nation's top defensive back, earned consensus All-American honors last year. King (5-11, 200) intercepted eight passes to tie for Iowa's single-season record and rank second nationally. He also broke up 13 passes and registered 72 tackles. He has started 38 games in three seasons.

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