TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida-based creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award, has released the 2016 Biletnikoff Award Pre-Season Watch List. The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes the outstanding receiver, not merely outstanding wide receiver.
The award recipient is selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, and former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. //biletnikoffaward.com/voters
Receivers are periodically added to the watch list as their season performances dictate. Actual, not potential, performance is the basis for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
The 2016 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on Dec. 8, 2016, on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show to be broadcast 7:00 - 9:00pm (EST) on ESPN. College Football Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard will present the 2016 Biletnikoff Award winner on the show. Howard is one of only five ends or receivers who has won the Heisman Trophy, joining Larry Kelley, Leon Hart, Johnny Rodgers, and Tim Brown.
MORE: Check here for full preseason watch lists
The correlation between Biletnikoff Award winners and stardom in the National Football League is uncannily predictable. Past Biletnikoff Award winners include Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, and Larry Fitzgerald.
The 2016 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented his trophy before 550 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
| NAME | SCHOOL | YEAR |
|---|---|---|
| Rodney Adams | University of South Florida | SR. |
| Chance Allen | University of Houston | SR. |
| Marcell Ateman | Oklahoma State University | SR. |
| Josh Atkinson | University of Tulsa | RSR. |
| Devonte Boyd | University of Nevada, Las Vegas | JR. |
| KD Cannon | Baylor University | JR. |
| Jehu Chesson | University of Michigan | SR. |
| Simmie Cobbs Jr. | Indiana University | JR. |
| Corey Davis | Western Michigan University | SR. |
| Robert Davis | Georgia State University | SR. |
| Gehrig Dieter | University of Alabama | RSR. |
| Malachi Dupre | Louisiana State University | JR. |
| Isaiah Ford | Virginia Tech | JR. |
| Shelton Gibson | West Virginia University | RJR. |
| Chris Godwin | Pennsylvania State University | JR. |
| Kenny Golladay | Northern Illinois University | RSR. |
| Penny Hart | Georgia State University | SO. |
| Carlos Henderson | Louisiana Tech University | RSO. |
| Hasaan Henderson | University of Nevada | SR. |
| Mack Hollins | University of North Carolina | SR. |
| Richie James | Middle Tennessee State University | RSO. |
| Isaiah Jones | East Carolina University | SR. |
| Ricky Jones | Indiana University | RSR. |
| Christian Kirk | Texas A&M University | SO. |
| Jesse Kroll | Central Michigan University | SR |
| Jerome Lane | University of Akron | JR. |
| Allen Lazard | Iowa State University | JR. |
| KeVonn Mabon | Ball State University | SR. |
| Gabe Marks | Washington State University | RSR. |
| Taquan Mizzell | University of Virginia | SR. |
| Ronnie Moore | Bowling Green State University | SR. |
| Drew Morgan | University of Arkansas | SR. |
| Nicholas Norris | Western Kentucky University | SR. |
| Zach Pascal | Old Dominion University | SR. |
| Brandon Reilly | University of Nebraska | SR. |
| Josh Reynolds | Texas A&M University | SR. |
| Jerico Richardson | University of Nevada | SR. |
| Calvin Ridley | University of Alabama | SO. |
| Fred Ross | Mississippi State University | SR. |
| Travis Rudolph | Florida State University | JR. |
| Artavis Scott | Clemson University | SO. |
| Sebastian Smith | Ohio University | SR. |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | University of Southern California | JR. |
| Thomas Sperbeck | Boise State University | SR. |
| Courtland Sutton | Southern Methodist University | SO. |
| Taywan Taylor | Western Kentucky University | SR. |
| Trent Taylor | Louisiana Tech University | JR. |
| Cody Thompson | University of Toledo | JR. |
| DJ Thompson | University of Southern Mississippi | RSR. |
| James Washington | Oklahoma State University | JR. |
| Jordan Westerkamp | University of Nebraska | SR. |
| Kermit Whitfield | Florida State University | SR. |
| Mike Williams | Clemson University | RJR. |
The banquet has featured distinguished keynoters of profound character and accomplishments including Bart Starr, Dick Vermeil, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, Don Shula, Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, Ron Jaworski, Gene Stallings, Bill Curry, Jim Kelly, Jerry Kramer, Joe Theismann, and Dan Fouts.
The banquet also recognizes the Foundation's scholarship recipients who will be offered by the Foundation over $800,000 in college and vocational scholarships and related benefits in 2017 alone, as in 2015 and 2016. The Foundation's charitable mission is the provision of college and vocational scholarships to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant barriers to achieve at the highest academic and extra-curricular levels.
The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., will announce the ten Biletnikoff Award semifinalists on November 14, 2016, following the vote by the members of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Likewise, the three finalists will be declared, following another vote, on November 22, 2016. For complete details and updates of interest, together with weekly statistics and timely, important news of the Biletnikoff Award candidates, as well as a fan vote and discussion board, please consult the Foundation's highly informative website at www.biletnikoffaward.com.
The transparently detailed and explicit criteria for candidate eligibility and voting appear at: //biletnikoffaward.com/criteria.
The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was an All-America receiver at Florida State University, and an All-Pro receiver for the Oakland Raiders. He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978. Fred was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation (TQC), Inc., created the Biletnikoff Award in 1994.
