Biletnikoff Award Watchlist: Trio of SEC receivers added to list after strong 2023 start
By Ethan Stone
Published:
The Biletnikoff Award is given out yearly to the top receiver in college football, with a preseason watchlist and a few midseason additions whittled to just one by season’s end.
Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt won the award last season over Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and others.
On Thursday, the award’s social media account revealed 5 new additions to the grouping, which now sits at 54 players as of October 5. Of those, 52 are wide receivers.
3 SEC receivers were added to the fray Thursday: Missouri’s Luther Burden III, LSU’s Brian Thomas and South Carolina’s Xavier Legette.
Congratulations to Brian Thomas Jr. @BrianThomas_11 for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List! The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the college football season’s outstanding FBS receiver at any position. @LSUfootball @LSUsports #OutstandingReceiver #NCFAA pic.twitter.com/acYKXd4ssZ
— Biletnikoff Award (@biletnikoffawrd) October 5, 2023
Congratulations to Xavier Legette @XavierLegette for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List! The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the college football season’s outstanding FBS receiver at any position. @GamecockFB @GamecocksOnline #OutstandingReceiver #NCFAA pic.twitter.com/Ro0AweaNDh
— Biletnikoff Award (@biletnikoffawrd) October 5, 2023
Congratulations to Luther Burden III @lutherburden3 for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List! The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the college football season’s outstanding FBS receiver at any position. @MizzouFootball @MizzouAthletics #OutstandingReceiver #NCFAA pic.twitter.com/zNX4HTIbLR
— Biletnikoff Award (@biletnikoffawrd) October 5, 2023
Burden’s addition especially may be long overdue. The sophomore receiver currently leads the SEC in receiving yards per game by a significant margin, hauling in 128 yards each outing.
Legette isn’t far behind in 3rd place at 121 yards per game, after which there is a significant drop off to 4th place, which happens to be Thomas at 107 yards per game. These 3, alongside LSU’s Malik Nabers (who is already on the watchlist) are the only SEC receivers averaging over 100 yards per game.
As of October 5 there are 11 SEC members on the watchlist. See all 10 listed below:
- Luther Burden, Mizzou
- Xavier Legette, South Carolina
- Juice Wells, South Carolina
- Brian Thomas, LSU
- Malik Nabers, LSU
- Zakhari Franklin, Ole Miss
- Tre Harris, Ole Miss
- Brock Bowers, Georgia
- Dominic Lovett, Georgia
- Ladd McConkey, Georgia
- Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
