Biletnikoff is a hard word to spell. Luckily, since I barely graduated from college, I can spell hard words. Sometimes.
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is given to the best receiver in the country every year, and in the preseason, they release the top 50 candidates, seven of which are Big 12 talents this year.
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Oklahoma leads the pack with two players on the watchlist this season with Ceedee Lamb and tight end Grant Calcaterra. The rest of the candidates are Colin Johnson (Texas), McLane Mannix (Texas Tech), Denzel Mims (Baylor), Jalen Reagor (TCU), and Tylan Wallace (Oklahoma State).
I’ve discussed a few of these players already, and given some context as to what might make or break each receiver’s chances this year. A lot of wide receiver play depends on who is throwing the ball , but honestly, each player that’s up for this award has at least a decent quarterback on his roster.
CEEDEE LAMB, OKLAHOMA
I’ve already written about CeeDee Lamb a few times, and for those articles check out my all-Big 12 Offense and all-Big 12 awards. Lamb was the second-best receiver on one of the best offenses in the history of the conference last year. And while he doesn’t have Kyler Murray to get him the ball, the way Oklahoma plays, they will keep on scoring no matter what.
Lamb went for 1,200 yards and 11 scores in 2018, and despite all of the losses on offense, looks poised to improve on that mark. Behind Jerry Jeudy from Alabama, Tee Higgins from Clemson, and Tylan Wallace from Oklahoma State, Lamb might be the best receiver in the country.
With Alabama transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts under center, OU’s offense looks like it may take a step back from the Kyler Murray/Baker Mayfield days, but not enough to where it will hinder the Sooners overall on the season. This is why I think CeeDee Lamb will have a dominant season and has a legit shot at the Biletnikoff.
GRANT CALCATERRA (TIGHT END), OKLAHOMA
I’ve written before about Calcaterra and the way he plays tight end. He’s basically just another wide receiver in an OU offense that throws the ball a lot.
Last season, Calcaterra only had 400 receiving yards and six touchdowns, but he was also sharing the field with a ton of talent, so he was not the priority in his first two years in Norman. But most projections have him as the top talent at tight end in the conference coming into 2019.
The problem standing in the way of Calcaterra’s winning the Biletnikoff is the fact that CeeDee Lamb is on the same offense. Lamb is going to get the lion’s share of opportunities. Calcaterra will likely get some chances in the red zone because of his 6’4″ frame, so there’s a chance he leads the team in receiving touchdowns.
But in yards and receptions? Lamb will be the one to stop.
McLANE MANNIX, TEXAS TECH
Mannix played for the Nevada Wolfpack for his freshman and sophomore seasons, and put up numbers in Jay Norvell’s air-raid offense. In his first two season combined, he had 1,581 receiving yards and 12 scores, both of which put him in the top-20 all-time for Nevada despite his short tenure there. His average per catch, 15.7 yards, ranks him third all-time in the Wolfpack program.
Luckily for Mannix, new Tech coach Matt Wells runs a high-powered passing offense that both the receiver and Red Raider fans are used to. These offenses that Wells has run are blistering in speed, averaging 72 snaps per game. Plus, with the very solid Alan Bowman at quarterback, Mannix is going to get a lot of opportunity out of his position at slot receiver.
Mannix is fast. He runs a 4.49 40-yard dash, and though he is only 5’9″, he has a nose for the ball and is quick and athletic enough to get open, especially against linebackers, defenders that are often put on him in coverage. He should be a tough player to stop in the upcoming season, especially in the offense that he was groomed to play in.
COLLIN JOHNSON, TEXAS
Collin Johnson is a 6’6″ wide receiver who was Texas’ second-best receiver in 2018 behind Lil’Jordan Humphrey. A great end-zone threat, Johnson is going to have lots of opportunities to score points this season with Sam Ehlinger getting him the ball.
Last season he racked up just shy of 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns while splitting pass opportunities with the aforementioned Humphrey. This year, he will be the focal point of the offense, which means that he’ll get more attempts, but face tougher opposing defensive backs. It’s up to him to make those plays happen against this improved competition.
JALEN REAGOR, TCU
Jalen Reagor might be the best receiver in the Big 12; the issue with him is not his abilities, but the abilities of the team around him. TCU hasn’t declared a starting quarterback for the 2019 season yet, as it comes down to Justin Rogers, a redshirt freshman coming off of an injury, or Alex Delton, a grad transfer from Kansas State. It could also be true freshman Max Duggan, a four-star, dual-threat out of Iowa.
Luckily for whoever gets the starting job, Reagor is a playmaker. Last season, where he had three different quarterbacks throwing him the ball, he still managed to put up 1,061 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, leading the Horned Frogs in both statistical categories.
Reagor is a top-10 receiver in the country. In a receiver-stacked Big 12, Reagor stands out as one of the elite players, and will be a playmaker no matter who is under center for TCU. If they get high-level quarterback play, Reagor absolutely stands a chance at the Biletnikoff.
DENZEL MIMS, BAYLOR
The Big 12 is full of great receivers and great quarterbacks, and Mims is not only an explosive talent, but Baylor has Charlie Brewer as signal-caller, meaning he will have every opportunity to shine this season.
Coming off of a season where he had 800 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, Mims seems ready to take over as a senior leader on the Baylor Bears football team. He had a more successful season as a sophomore where he tallied nearly 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns, and if he can return to that form, could be a lethal weapon on an already talented Bears offense.
Standing tall at 6’3″, Mims has good height, and along with his stature runs a 4.52 40 time. His physical tools along with the departure of fellow wideout Jalen Hurd should mean he will get lots of chances to show off his abilities this season.
TYLAN WALLACE, OKLAHOMA STATE
Wallace was the best receiver in the Big 12 last season along with Marquise Brown, as he amassed nearly 1,500 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on the year.
He was dominant, and had big games against Oklahoma State’s biggest opponents last year, including 220 yards and two touchdowns against then sixth-ranked Oklahoma and 222 yards and two touchdowns in an upset against then sixth-ranked Texas. He averaged an impressive 17.3 yards per reception in 2018, showing that not only is he a possession receiver , but also an explosive player that can score form anywhere on the field.
Similar to Jalen Reagor’s situation, we don’t exactly know who will be the Oklahoma State starting quarterback, although I’m pretty certain it will be four-star Spencer Sanders, who I actually predicted to win my Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year award. If Sanders is as good as advertised, Wallace may be the best receiver in the Big 12 two years running.
OVERALL
Though there are seven nominees for the Biletnikoff in the Big 12 this season, the only three that I believe stand a legitimate shot of taking it home are CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Reagor and Tylan Wallace.
It’s going to be difficult to outplay either 2018’s Biletnikoff winner, Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy; or Clemon’s Tee Higgins, especially considering both of them have Tua Tagovailoa or Trevor “Sunshine” Lawrence throwing to them, respectively.
But, dependent on quarterback play, we may have another Big 12 Biletnikoff Award winner in 2019, which would make it four out of the last five years that the Big 12 has the best receiver in the nation.
The Blog 12 Conference 