PDF

DOCX

XLSX

For Immediate Release: August 7, 2023

Foundation Chairman Mark Ryan presented the beautiful Biletnikoff Award trophy to unanimous 1st-team All America Jalin Hyatt with Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope, and Pro Football Hall of Famer and keynote speaker Drew Pearson at the 29th Biletnikoff Award Banquet on Saturday March 11, 2023.

Tallahassee, FL - The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida-based creator and sponsor of the prestigious Biletnikoff Award, has released the 2023 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List.



The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. 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 college football's outstanding receiver, not merely college football's outstanding wide receiver.

The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 650 prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. For a list of voters, please see BiletnikoffAward.com/voters.

Receivers are frequently 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 Biletnikoff Award candidate eligibility and voting criteria, transparently explicit and detailed, are available for review at BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria.

2022 Biletnikoff Award winner and unanimous 1st-team All-America Jalin Hyatt

The 2023 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented the Biletnikoff Award trophy by TQC Founding Trustee and Chairman Walter Manley II, Fred Biletnikoff, and the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Danny Wuerffel, keynote speaker, at the black-tie Biletnikoff Award Banquet & Celebration at the Dunlap Champions Club, at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, March 9, 2024. The banquet was hailed by 2014 keynote speaker Dick Vermeil, as well as by 2013 keynoter Larry Csonka, as "the best banquet in college sports."

2024 Biletnikoff Award keynote speaker and College Football Hall of Famer

Danny Wuerffel

During his senior year in 1996, Danny Wuerffel won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Florida Gators to their first national championship. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. He received the Draddy Trophy, which is presented annually by the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame to the nation's top football scholar-athlete. His career pass efficiency rating of 163.56 was the best in major college history and his percentage of passes which went for a touchdown (9.74) ranked first in collegiate history.



The banquet has featured distinguished keynoters of profound character and accomplishments including the late Bart Starr, Dick Vermeil, the late Floyd Little, Larry Csonka, Steve Largent, Mike Ditka, the late Don Shula, the late Dan Reeves, Archie Manning, Ron Jaworski, Gene Stallings, Bob Griese, Bill Curry, the late Bobby Bowden, Jim Kelly, Jerry Kramer, Joe Theismann, Dan Fouts, Chad Hennings, Lou Holtz, Aaron Taylor, Archie Griffin, and Drew Pearson.

The 501(c)(3) TQC Foundation's charitable mission is the provision of college and vocational scholarships to North Florida high school seniors who have overcome significant challenges to achieve at the highest academic and extracurricular levels. Participation in sports is not a requirement, but does count as an extracurricular activity. The all-volunteer Foundation has provided over 300 scholarships with benefits of nearly five million dollars through 2022. TQC Foundation Chairman Manley, serving his 26th year as fundraising chairman, recently announced a goal of 10 million dollars to be awarded in scholarships by 2030 doubling the current aggregate total of $5 million awarded through 2023.

The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was a consensus 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 2023 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List

(Other receivers will be added as their season performances dictate)

Alex Adams, Akron

Elijhah Badger, Arizona State

Brock Bowers, Georgia

Jerand Bradley, Texas Tech

Jalon Calhoun, Duke

Dante Cephas, Penn State

De'Corian Clark, UTSA

Keon Coleman, Florida State

Malachi Corley, WKU

Jacob Cowing, Arizona

Corey Crooms Jr., Minnesota

Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Zakhari Franklin, Ole Miss

Troy Franklin, Oregon

Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse

Corey Gammage, UCF

Tre Harris, Ole Miss

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern

Tory Horton, Colorado State

Tyrone Howell, ULM

Jeremiah Hunter, California

Ali Jennings III, Virginia Tech

Tez Johnson, Oregon

Caullin Lacy, South Alabama

Jaylin Lane, Virginia Tech

Dominic Lovett, Georgia

Ladd McConkey, Georgia

Jalen McMillan, Washington

Malik Nabers, LSU

Jerjuan Newton, Toledo

Rome Odunze, Washington

Ryan O'Keefe, Boston College

Sam Pinckney, Coastal Carolina

Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State

Bradley Rozner, NC State

Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt

Dorian Singer, USC

Tyrin Smith, UTEP

Elijah Spencer, Minnesota

J.Michael Sturdivant, UCLA

Jamari Thrash, Louisville

Devin Voisin, South Alabama

Devontez Walker, North Carolina

Tahj Washington, USC

Antwane Wells Jr., South Carolina

Sam Wiglusz, Ohio

Johnny Wilson, Florida State

Xavier Worthy, Texas