The Pro Football Focus 2022 preseason Fred Biletnikoff Award watchlist dropped today and Iowa State has a player on the list. Senior Xavier Hutchinson is among the names to watch as the best wideouts in college football this season.
The Biletnikoff Award is presented to the most outstanding receiver in college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation. Last season, Pitt sophomore Jordan Addison took home the hardware after stacking 100 catches, 17 touchdowns and 1,593 receiving yards. Other receivers to win the award include DaVonta Smith, Ja’Marr Chase and Jerry Jeudy.
Hutchinson is the clear No. 1 receiver for Iowa State this season. He led the team with 83 catches for 987 yards in 2021 but shared a lot of the load with Charlie Kolar who is now with the Baltimore Ravens. The Cyclones are also without two-time consensus All-American running back Breece Hall, drafted 36th overall to the New York Jets. That leaves a lot of room for Hutchinson to be a focal point of Iowa State’s offense.
Biletnikoff Award Favorites
Jordan Addison is the clear cut favorite to repeat as the best receiver in college football this season. In the offseason he transferred out of Pitt to join USC and its new head coach Lincoln Riley. The former Oklahoma coach is best known for a dynamic passing game that highlights the talents of his quarterbacks, but he’s had some explosive receivers show out as a result. CeeDee Lamb had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with double-digit touchdowns. Dede Westbrook posted 1,524 yards at a 19.1-yard average and 17 touchdowns in his last year in Norman.
PFF’s most likely receivers to challenge Addison include Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, LSU’s Kayshon Boutte and Texas’ Xavier Worthy. Smith-Njigba was the only receiver in a Power Five conference with more receiving yards than Addison in 2021 (1,606). He did so while sharing the field with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.
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