Notre Dame Football: Biletnikoff Award Watch List Names 50, But No Irish

Golden Tate distinguished himself above all other receivers in 2009 and was rewarded with the Biletnikoff Award. It’s unlikely a Notre Dame Fighting Irish football player repeats Tate’s feat nine years later.

No Irish receivers, tight ends or running backs were named Thursday to the watch list of the Biletnikoff Award, which is awarded to the best college football pass-catcher by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.

Three Irish opponents did have wideouts who made the list, however: the Stanford Cardinal’s JJ Arcega-Whiteside; Wake Forest Demon Deacons’ Greg Dortch and Ball State Cardinals’s Justin Hall.

It’s no surprise that zero Notre Dame players cracked the 50-person watch list. The team’s leading receiver from last year, Equanimeous St. Brown, traded in blue and gold for gold and dark green after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Chase Claypool, the team’s leading receiver who returns, managed just 402 yards on 29 catches, with 180 of those yards coming in a single game against Wake Forest.

The award’s selection committee is comprised of more than 550 sportswriters, analysts and commentators covering college football, as well as past award winners. There is also a fan vote, which opens Sept. 4 and is equivalent to one vote (out of a potential 551 cast).

The committee will announce 10 semifinalists on Nov. 12, announce three finalists on Nov. 20 and the winner will be announced Dec. 6 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. In addition to the trophy, the winner also gets a ring and a pendant for the recipient’s mom, sister, wife or “other female figure.”