Seven MAC Students Named To 2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Seven MAC Students Named to 2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Tallahassee, FL - The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida-based creator and sponsor of the Biletnikoff Award, has released the 2018 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List. The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the outstanding FBS 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 college football's outstanding receiver, not merely college football's outstanding wide receiver.
Representing the MAC are seven students -- James Gardner (Miami), Justin Hall (Ball State), Anthony Johnson (Buffalo), Diontae Johnson (Toledo), Scott Miller (Bowling Green), Kwadarrius Smith (Akron) and Cody Thompson (Toledo).
Gardner, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., led the RedHawks last year with 47 receptions for 927 yards and 11 touchdowns. Gardner earned All-MAC First Team honors last season and ranked third in the MAC with 77.2 yards receiving per game. He had five 100-yard games last year, including an eight catch, 111 yard performance versus Marshall to open the season. Gardner had five catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Austin Peay and added 117 yards and two scores at Notre Dame. His top performance of the season came against arch-rival Ohio in which he had 10 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
Hall, a native of Douglasville, Ga., led all freshmen in the nation in receptions (78) last year and ranked fourth among all freshmen in receiving yards (801) for Ball State. Hall went on to earn ESPN.com Freshman All-America honors. The offensive numbers are impressive enough, however, add to it that Ball State had to start four different quarterbacks last season due to injury and the offensive numbers are even more impressive for a freshman.
Johnson, a native of Rock Hill, S.C., is just second player in Buffalo history to be named to the Maxwell Award watch list, joining former All-MAC running back Branden Oliver. Johnson is coming off a breakout season in 2017 as he had 76 catches for 1,356 yards and a school-record 14 touchdowns. He ranked second in the nation in receiving yards per game (113.0) and third in receiving touchdowns (14). The All-MAC First Team selection had six games of 140 or more receiving yards which was tops in the country.
Johnson, a native of Ruskin, Fla., became Toledo’s top target last season as a sophomore after the season ending injury to Cody Thompson. Johnson led the Rockets with 74 receptions for 1,278 yards (17.3 avg.) and 13 touchdowns. Johnson ranked second in the MAC with his 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns, while his 74 catches ranked third in the league. Johnson’s 13 touchdowns is tied for 17th most in a single-season in MAC history, while his 1,278 yards receiving ranks tied for 22nd most in MAC history.
Miller, a native of Barrington, Ill., has twice been named All-MAC during his career, including first team honors as a sophomore. He enters his senior year with 1,719 career receiving yards, 19th in program history. His six career 100-yard receiving games is tied for 10th in school history. Last year he led the Falcons with 63 receptions for 722 yards (11.5 avg.) and four touchdowns.
Smith, a native of Orlando, Fla., appeared in all 14 games for Akron as the Zips won the MAC East Division and received an initation to the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. Last season Smith collected 34 receptions for 726 yards (21.4 avg.) and seven touchdowns. His 726 yards receiving and seven touchdowns led Akron.
Thompson, a native of Huron, Ohio, was a first-team All-MAC selection in 2016, catching 64 passes for a then school-record 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. Last season, he was averaging 126.3 yards-per-game and 18.7 yards-per-catch going into the Eastern Michigan game on Oct. 7 in which he suffered a season-ending injury. He was granted an injury hardship waiver by the NCAA, giving him another chance to complete his senior season.
The award recipient is selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 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 seeBiletnikoffAward.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 transparently detailed and explicit criteria for candidate eligibility, watch list inclusion, and voting appear at:BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria
The 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on December 6, 2018, on The Home Depot College Football Awards presented by Gildan to be broadcast 7:00 - 9:00pm (EST) on ESPN. College and pro football hall of famer Fred Biletnikoff will announce the 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner on the show. The correlation between Biletnikoff Award winners and stardom in the National Football League is nearly uniformly consistent. Past Biletnikoff Award winners include Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Larry Fitzgerald.
The 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented the Biletnikoff Award trophy by college and pro football hall of famer Fred Biletnikoff and keynoter & 1993 Lombardi Award and Jim Parker Award winner Aaron Taylor before 550 patrons at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet at the University Center Club at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday, February 16, 2019.
The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc., will announce the ten Biletnikoff Award semifinalists on November 12, 2018, following the vote by the distinguished members of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Likewise, the three finalists will be declared, following another vote, on November 20, 2018. 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 BiletnikoffAward.com.
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.
