I have just a couple of quick links to share this morning as some Hawkeyes are being recognized this summer.

Ricky Stanzi


Obrien Award Davey O'Brien Award
On Wednesday the Davey O'Brien foundation announced 30 quarterbacks on its watch list. Among those 30 names was Stanzi, who was a semi-finalist last year. The Davey O'Brien award goes to the nation's best quarterback.

Unitas Award Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Stanzi has also made the watch list for the Golden Arm Award. Some notable names also on the list are Iowa State's Austin Arnaud and Wisconsin's Scott Tolzien. This award goes to the nation's best senior quarterback.

Hawkeye Brains


Scholar Award Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award
There were 37 Iowa student-athletes that earned the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award. Two of the 37 were football players: Daniel Murray and Josh Koeppel. To earn this honor, the student athlete must have had a 3.7 GPA or higher this past school year. Koeppel, who's competing with James Ferentz, could be the starter at center this fall. Along with the quarterback, the center position probably requires the most mental aptitude on the offense. It requires the player to read the defense and make the correct line call for blocking. Kicker may not require the same level of smarts, but mental toughness is definitely a key attribute for a kicker and it's something Murray has shown he has. So needless to say, it's nice to have this pair of scholars on the team.