Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson, Texas Tech’s Josh Kelly among locals on Biletnikoff watch list

No Oklahoma State player has won the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented annually to the best receiver in college football, since James Washington in 2017.

Could that change in 2024?

The Cowboys have at least a couple of candidates who will start the year in the running, as wide receivers Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens were both named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

Presley and Owens were two of six receivers from area colleges to grace the preseason watch list. Joining them are Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson, Baylor’s Ashtyn Hawkins, Texas Tech’s Josh Kelly and TCU’s Eric McAlister.

Presley enters the 2024 season with numbers that rank among the best receivers in Oklahoma State history. He is fourth in career catches (225), seventh in receiving yards (2,548) and 12th in touchdowns (16). He had 101 catches for 991 yards and six touchdowns last year.

Owens had a breakout season last year with 895 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Anderson is looking to become the first Sooner to win the Biletnikoff since Dede Westbrook in 2016. He had a breakout season as a freshman last year, hauling in 38 catches for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’ll have a new quarterback throwing to him this season, with Dillon Gabriel off to Oregon and Denton Guyer product Jackson Arnold taking his place.

Hawkins, a DeSoto product, joins Baylor after spending the past three seasons with Texas State. In 34 games, he totaled 141 catches for 1,745 yards and 11 touchdowns.

McAlister transferred to TCU after two years at Boise State. He had 873 yards and five touchdowns in nine games last year.

Kelly arrived at Texas Tech as a graduate transfer after spending four years at Fresno State and last year at Washington State. Over his career, he’s amassed 2,228 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

See the full Biletnikoff Award watch list below.

Kelly Akharaiyi, Mississippi State

Nic Anderson, Oklahoma

Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas

Lawrence Arnold, Kansas

Pofele Ashlock, Hawaii

Sean Atkins, USF

Elic Ayomanor, Stanford

Demeer Blankumsee, Memphis

Samuel Brown, Miami

Luther Burden III, Missouri

Kevin Concepcion, NC State

CJ Daniels, LSU

Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame

Malachi Fields, Virginia

Jacolby George, Miami

Tre Harris, Ole Miss

Ashtyn Hawkins, Baylor

Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

Joey Hobert, Texas State

Tory Horton, Colorado State

Kobe Hudson, UCF

Travis Hunter, Colorado

Daniel Jackson, Minnesota

Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

Tez Johnson, Oregon

Josh Kelly, Texas Tech

Caullin Lacy, Louisville

Robert Lewis, Auburn

Colston Loveland, Michigan

Ja’Mori Maclin, Kentucky

Eric McAlister, TCU

Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

Kris Mitchell, Notre Dame

Jordan Moore, Duke

Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

Rashod Owens, Oklahoma State

Will Pauling, Wisconsin

Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State

Jamaal Pritchett, South Alabama

Xavier Restrepo, Miami

Kaedin Robinson, App State

Jalen Royals, Utah State

Elijah Sarratt, Indiana

Roc Taylor, Memphis

LaJohntay Wester, Colorado

Squirrel White, Tennessee

Ricky White, UNLV

Kyle Williams, Washington State

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