Fannin Named to Biletnikoff Award Watch List
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Tallahassee Quarterback (TQC) Foundation, Inc., the Florida-based creator and sponsor of the prestigious Biletnikoff Award, released the first in-season addition to the Watch List today (Wednesday). Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was one of the five additions.
The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. 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. Tight end Kyle Pitts was a finalist in 2020, and other tight ends were semifinalists in prior years. Moreover, the Biletnikoff Award is a single season, not career, award.
Fannin (Jr., Canton, Ohio) is currently No. 1 in the nation for tight ends in receptions (37), receiving yards (541), YAC (315), first downs (25), broken tackles (14) and touchdowns (4). His receptions and receiving yard numbers rank No. 6 in the nation among all receivers. Per Pro Football Focus, Fannin's overall offensive grade (95.2) is the highest overall ranking of all college football players regardless of position. Against Old Dominion Fannin broke BGSU's single-game record for receiving yards by a tight end with 192. He owns four of seven all-time games where a BGSU tight end caught 100+ yards.
The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 600 prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former receivers.
Recently, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation opened the 2024 FanVote. Every fan may vote once daily on the Biletnikoff Award FanVote page. The aggregate fan tally will be counted as one official vote to determine semi-finalists, finalists (three receivers), and the winner.
TCU's Jack Bech (WR), Maryland's Tai Felton (WR), San Jose State's Nick Nash (WR) and Troy's Devonte Ross (WR) were also added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
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.
Semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 18 and three finalists will be announced on Nov. 26. The Biletnikoff award winner will be announced on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 12.
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