Tag: Biletnikoff Award

Where Troy Franklin ranks among nation’s best WRs midway through 2023 season

With 500+ yards and 7 TD, Troy Franklin is off to a blazing start in 2023. Where does he rank among the top WRs in the nation, though?

The 2022 college football season was fun for Oregon Duck fans because it showed that they might have a superstar in the making with Troy Franklin blossoming as a deep-play threat in the passing game in Eugene.

The start of the 2023 season has been absolutely thrilling for those same Duck fans to watch. Franklin has established himself as one of the top receivers in the nation.

We knew it was possible, especially with fifth-year quarterback Bo Nix returning for one last ride, plus the introduction of new offensive coordinator Will Stein, a play-caller who has been very vocal about his willingness to take multiple deep shots per game. The result has been incredible. Franklin racked up over 100 yards in four of his five games this year and hauled in multiple touchdowns in three of those games.

While Nix is in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race at the midway point of the season, we wanted to see where Franklin stands when it comes to the receiving leaders in the nation and the potential Biletnikoff Award watch list.

Here’s our rankings of the nation’s best pass-catchers, based on receiving yards and receiving TDs, through Week 5:

Dante Cephas named to Biletnikoff Award watch list

Penn State’s Bobby Engram won the first Biletnikoff Award. Dante Cephas is on the watch list hoping to join him in 2023.

One of Penn State’s newest additions on offense is already on the radar for the top honor at his position in the 2023 college football season. Penn State wide receiver [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag] has been named to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award.

Cephas transferred to Penn State from Kent State in this offseason, and he is expected to step right into a leading role on the offense.

Cephas had 48 receptions for 744 yards and three touchdowns in nine games last season for Kent State. The previous season, in 2021, Cephas had 82 catches for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games played.

Cephas comes to Penn State looking to help fill a bit of a hole in the passing game after losing two starting wide receivers to the NFL (Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley). Cephas will join new teammate KeAndre Lambert-Smith as the top receiving targets for Penn State’s new starting quarterback, which is expected to be sophomore Drew Allar.

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The Biletnikoff Award was first presented in 1994 when Penn State’s Bobby Engram was honored as the nation’s top wide receiver. He remains the only Biletnikoff Award in Penn State history.

The last Big Ten wide receiver to win the Biletnikoff Award was Braylon Edwards of Michigan in 2004. Last year’s recipient of the Biletnikoff Award was Jalin Hyatt of Tennessee.

Any player who catches a pass is eligible for the Biletnikoff Award regardless of position, but no player outside of the wide receiver position has won the award in the history of the award.

Semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award will be announced in November and three finalists will be voted on by a selection committee and announced in late November. The winner of this year’s Biletnikoff Award will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 7.

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Two Ohio State receivers make Biletnikoff preseason watch list

What are the odds that Harrison Jr., or Egbuka takes this thing home? #GoBucks

Many will tell you that Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was the best receiver in college football last season, even if he didn’t win the Biletnikoff Award that is supposedly handed out to the country’s best receiver, regardless of position, annually (don’t blame this voter, he checked the box for Harrison Jr.).

He will have another chance of course this fall. And so far, so good, as both Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka were two of 49 names named to the preseason Biletnikoff Award announced Monday.

The Biletnikoff Award is handed out by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation and has been awarded every year since 1994. To date, only one Ohio State player has been honored, and it was in just year two of the award when Terry Glenn won it in 1995.

Of any of the awards out there that Ohio State players have been mentioned for with these watch lists, you have to feel pretty good about this one with two of the best receivers in college football wearing the scarlet and gray.

Don’t be surprised if Harrison Jr. and Egbuka both are finalists and have a shot at taking it home.

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A pair of Duck receivers on preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list

Oregon receivers Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson have been placed on the Biletnikoff Award watch list for the nation’s best receiver.

Oregon is fortunate to have a very good quarterback in Bo Nix, but the senior signal caller would be the first to admit he wouldn’t be as good if he didn’t have talented targets.

Two of those targets, Troy Franklin and incoming transfer Tex Johnson are being recognized as two of the better receivers in the country as they were on the preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list.

The award goes to the nation’s best receiver. Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt was last year’s recipient.

In 2022, Franklin had his best season as a Duck with 61 catches for 891 yards and nine touchdowns. For Troy last season, Johnson had 56 catches for 863 yards and four touchdowns.

 

Texas WR Xavier Worthy named to Biletnikoff Award watch list

The award is presented annually to college football’s most outstanding receiver.

For the second consecutive year, Xavier Worthy has been named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list. Continue reading “Texas WR Xavier Worthy named to Biletnikoff Award watch list”

Devontez Walker Named To Biletnikoff Award Watch List

On Monday, UNC Football wide receiver Devontez Walker received preseason honor by being named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

North Carolina wide receiver [autotag]Devontez Walker[/autotag] has been named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced the watch list Monday, with Walker representing UNC. The Biletnikoff Award is awarded to the nation’s best catcher, with the watch list filled with wide receivers and two tight ends.

The announcement comes on the heels of numerous UNC players being named to numerous watch lists. Walker is poised for a huge year, filling the cleats left behind by 2023 NFL draftee Josh Downs.

After a brief stint with Kent State in 2021 and 2022, the four-star wide receiver transferred to UNC after finishing 8th in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for receptions (58) in 2022. That same year, Walker had 921 receiving yards for 11 touchdowns.

The Biletnikoff Award was founded in 1994. No Tar Heel has won the honor of being named the Biletnikoff Award winner. The last player to come out of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and win the Biletnikoff Award is Pittsburgh Jordan Addison in 2021.

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Malik Nabers named to preseason watch list for Biletnikoff Award

Malik Nabers is also on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award.

LSU wide receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] has been named to the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the top pass-catcher in college football annually.

Nabers is coming off a breakout true sophomore season in which he emerged as the favorite target of transfer quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]. He finished beyond the 1,000-yard mark, making him the 10th Tiger to do so, and his 72 receptions led the SEC.

Entering 2023, Nabers is seen as potentially the league’s top wideout. He was a preseason First Team All-SEC pick by the media earlier this summer, and if he lives up to those expectations, he could certainly find himself in the running for the Biletnikoff.

This is the 12th time a Tiger has appeared on a preseason watch list this offseason, and it’s the second appearance for Nabers, who was also named to the Maxwell Award watch list with Daniels.

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Josh Heupel discusses Jalin Hyatt winning Biletnikoff Award

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discusses Vols’ wide receiver Jalin Hyatt winning the 2022 Biletnikoff Award.

Tennessee junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt won the Biletnikoff Award in 2022.

He is Tennessee’s first Biletnikoff Award winner.

Second-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed Hyatt winning the award during a press conference Saturday.

“What an awesome story,” Heupel said. “Proud of him. All of those individual awards come through team success and a team working together, so extremely excited for him, and excited for our football team that he gets recognized in that way. The season that he had, everybody’s heard the story. Wanting to be a great player versus working to be a great player. Man, he paid the price and he reaped the rewards. Really proud of him and what he accomplished all year long. It’s a great story that will live forever inside of this building for our future players and future teams.”

No. 6 Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) will play No. 7 Clemson (11-2, 8-0 ACC) in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.

Kickoff between the Vols and Tigers is slated for 8 p.m. EST (ESPN) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Hyatt will not play in the Vols’ bowl game as he prepares for the 2023 NFL draft.

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Jalin Hyatt wins 2022 Biletnikoff Award

Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt wins the 2022 Biletnikoff Award.

Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt was named the winner for the 2022 Biletnikoff Award Thursday.

Hyatt is Tennessee’s first Biletnikoff Award winner.

UT press release:

Tennessee has its first Biletnikoff Award winner. The nation’s most explosive playmaker Jalin Hyatt captured the award, which goes to college football’s most outstanding receiver regardless of position, on Thursday night as part of the virtual ESPN College Football Awards.

Hyatt beat out two other finalists in Iowa State’s Xavier Hutchinson and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. He was chosen in a vote by the Biletnikoff Award national selection committee made up of writers, broadcasters, eminent receivers and past award winners. The Biletnikoff Award, named in honor of Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff, has been presented annually by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., (TQCF) since 1994.

Hyatt is the sixth winner of the award from the SEC, and four out of the last five years have seen an SEC player take home the trophy. Tennessee joins Alabama and LSU as the only three SEC programs to produce a Biletnikoff Award winner.

Hyatt, a junior from Irmo, South Carolina, produced arguably the greatest regular season by a wide receiver in Tennessee history. He shattered the school record for receiving touchdowns with 15, a mark that also tied for the FBS lead and was tops among all Power Five players. The first-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press and league coaches ranked fourth nationally in receiving yards with 1,267, which is 31 yards shy of tying the program record set by Marcus Nash in 1997.

Hyatt took home the SEC receiving triple crown—leading the league in receptions (67), receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. His explosive prowess was on display all season as he led the nation in 30+ yard catches (15), 40+ yard catches (11), 50+ yard catches (7) and 60+ yard catches (5).

Hyatt delivered one of the greatest wide receiver performances in SEC history in a 52-49 win over Alabama as he caught six passes for 207 yards and a school-record and SEC-record-tying five touchdown receptions. He became the first FBS player with five or more receiving touchdowns vs. an AP top five team since NC State’s Terry Holt did so vs. No. 3 Florida State on Nov. 8, 1997.

Hyatt will be formally presented with the trophy at the 29th annual Biletnikoff Award celebration in Tallahassee in the spring.

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Marvin Harrison Jr. named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award

Harrison Jr. has a real good shot to take home this award. Would you give it to him? #GoBucks

It may have come a bit out of the blue this year, but it is very much deserving. Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was one of twelve names announced as semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award on Monday.

Before the season started, everyone had Jaxon Smith-Njigba pegged as the frontrunner for the award that goes to the player judged to be the most outstanding receiver in college football. However, Smith-Njigba has been dealing with an injury to his hamstring all season long and hasn’t been able to get on the field and stay.

No problem.

Harrison Jr. had picked up and become a star in Columbus, using his long frame, great route-running, and superhuman abilities to make circus-type catches all season long. For the year, Harrison Jr. has 65 catches for 1,037 yards (16.0 avg.) and 11 touchdowns.

The complete list of receivers named as semifinals includes:

Jordan Addison, USC
Brock Bowers, Georgia
Nathaniel Dell, Houston
Josh Downs, North Carolina
Zay Flowers, Boston College
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Quentin Johnston, TCU
Charlie Jones, Purdue
Rashee Rice, SMU
Keylon Stokes, Tulsa

Of these names, three finalists will be named on November 29, and the winner revealed on December 8 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

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