Since James Washington in 2017, no Oklahoma State player has won the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the best receiver in college football.
Could this change in 2024?
The Cowboys have at least two candidates in the running to start the year, as wide receivers Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens are both on the Biletnikoff Award candidate list.
Presley and Owens were two of six receivers from regional colleges on the preseason watch list, joining Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson, Baylor’s Ashtyn Hawkins, Texas Tech’s Josh Kelly and TCU’s Eric McAlister.
Presley enters the 2024 season with numbers that rank him among the best receivers in Oklahoma State history. He ranks fourth in career catches (225), seventh in receiving yards (2,548) and 12th in touchdowns (16). Last year, he had 101 catches for 991 yards and six touchdowns.
Owens had an outstanding season last year with 895 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Anderson is looking to become the first Sooner to win the Biletnikoff since Dede Westbrook in 2016. He had a stellar season as a freshman last year, making 38 catches for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. This season, he’ll have a new quarterback throwing to him: Dillon Gabriel is headed to Oregon and Jackson Arnold, a Denton Guyer product, is taking his place.
Hawkins, a DeSoto product, comes to Baylor after spending the last three seasons at Texas State, where he totaled 141 catches for 1,745 yards and 11 touchdowns in 34 games.
McAlister transferred to TCU after two years at Boise State. Last year, he rushed for 873 yards and five touchdowns in nine games.
Kelly came to Texas Tech as a graduate transfer after spending four years at Fresno State and last year at Washington State. He has 2,228 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over the course of his career.
The full Biletnikoff Award watchlist can be found below.
Kelly Akharaiyi, Mississippi State
Nic Anderson, Oklahoma
Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas
Lawrence Arnold, Kansas
Pofele Ashlock, Hawaii
Sean Atkins, USF
Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
Demeer Blankumsee, Memphis
Samuel Brown, Miami
Luther Burden III, Missouri
Kevin Concepcion, NC State
CJ Daniels, LSU
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame
Malachi Fields, Virginia
Jacolby George, Miami
Tre Harris, Ole Miss
Ashton Hawkins, Baylor
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Joey Hobert, State of Texas
Tory Horton, State of Colorado
Kobe Hudson, UCF
Travis Hunter, Colorado
Daniel Jackson, Minnesota
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Tez Johnson, Oregon
Josh Kelly, Texas Tech
Caullin Lacy, Louisville
Robert Lewis, Auburn
Colston Loveland, Michigan
Ja’Mori Maclin, Kentucky
Eric McAlister, TCU
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Kris Mitchell, Notre Dame
Jordan Moore, Duke
Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Rashod Owens, Oklahoma State
Will Pauling, Wisconsin
Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State
Jamaal Pritchett, South Alabama
Xavier Restrepo, Miami
Kaedin Robinson, App State
Jalen Royals, Utah State
Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
Roc Taylor, Memphis
LaJohntay Wester, Colorado
Squirrel White, Tennessee
Ricky White, UNLV
Kyle Williams, Washington State
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