Trio of Pac-10 receivers lead list of Biletnikoff candidates

By John Onan  |   Friday, November 11, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Ever since the watch list for the Fred Biletnikoff Award was announced in September, a trio of Pac-10 receivers, Dwayne Jarrett of USC, Jason Hill from Washington State, and Mike Haas of Oregon State have emerged as the front-runners.

The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, which sponsors the award named after Fred Biletnikoff, who starred at Florida State before going on to a Hall of Fame career with the Oakland Raiders, will announce the winner during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 8th.

Here's a look at this year's favorites to win the award that went to former Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who was the first round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Dwayne Jarrett USC: Everyone knows the name of Trojan quarterback Matt Leinart, last year's Heisman Trophy winner, but tend to forget about his top target, Jarrett. He has emerged in just his sophomore season to catch 65 passes for 964 yards and 14 touchdowns to lead top-ranked USC in all three categories. His best performance came two weeks ago against Washington State when he caught 11 balls for 200 yards. He has scored more than one touchdown five different times in 2005.

Jason Hill Washington State: The Cougars record-breaking wide receiver is leading the nation with 138 yards per game through the air and is averaging an amazing 18.6 yards per catch despite the fact he plays for a 3-6 Washington State team. The junior is likely to forego his senior year and enter the NFL draft, since he could possibly be the first receiver taken. Expect him to be a top five pick, possibly by his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, when his name is called by Paul Tagliabue in May.

Mike Haas Oregon State: Hard to imagine Haas was so lowly regarded coming out of high school, as he was forced to walk-on at Oregon State. He currently leads the nation in receiving yards with 166.2 and second in the NCAA with nearly nine receptions in each contest. He has gone over the century mark in receiving in seven of the Beavers nine games in 2005. Though not a highly-regarded pro prospect like Jarrett and Hill, the six-foot-one 210 pound senior gets the most out of his abilities.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report