Biletnikoff Award watch list 2017: 5 favorites to win
By John Buhler
The 2017 Biletnikoff Award watch list was released on Tuesday morning. Which five wide receivers stand the best chance of winning the award this season?
Fred Biletnikoff was one of the most important receivers in football history. He was one of the first standouts collegiately for an up-and-coming Florida State Seminoles program and Biletnikoff would put together a Hall of Fame career with the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s.
He didn’t want the acclaim of being a standout receiver, the guy just wanted to make plays. Biletnikoff did so at a very high level for a very long time in two levels of football. In his honor, the Biletnikoff Award has been giving out annually to the best wide receiver in Division I college football since 1993.
On Tuesday, the 2017 Biletnikoff Award watch list was released. On it are some of the best wideouts we’ll hopefully get to see shine on the gridiron this fall. With the college football game being increasingly passing-centric, here are five guys that could definitely separate from the pack and win the award this holiday season.
Allen Lazard
Wide Receiver, Iowa State Cyclones
Don’t laugh now, but the Iowa State Cyclones could be the biggest surprise of the 2017 college football season out of the Big 12. People often overlook the Cyclones, as arguably the second-worst football team in the Big 12, only ahead of the lousy Kansas Jayhawks.
However, the Cyclones should have a better offense than people would expect. They have an underrated starting quarterback in Jacob Park. Let’s not forget for a second who the best player Iowa State has this season: senior wide receiver Allen Lazard. This guy will play on Sundays and will help your fantasy team win in a few years.
Lazard had other major Division I offers, but decided to stay in-state and play for the Cyclones. It helps that his father played for Iowa State back in the day. Anyway, Lazard has already put together an impressive receiving resume in his three years in Ames. To date, he has 170 receptions for 2,419 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.
2016 saw him reel in career highs in all three departments with 69 catches for 1,018 yards and seven touchdowns. Should Lazard put together a 75+ catch season for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns, he’d have to be in the conversation for the Biletnikoff Award. Look for he and Park’s rapport in the passing game to really take flight in 2017. Remember, defense can be optional in the Big 12. Advantage: Iowa State aerial attack.