The Fred Biletnikoff Award is given out every year in college football to the most outstanding receiver in the country. Any player catches passes with regularity is deemed eligible for the honor, the majority being wide receivers or tight ends.
This year's preseason watch list features a pair of wide receivers from schools in the state of Michigan.
CMU senior receiver Corey Willis has been named to the @biletnikoffawrd Preseason Watch List! #FireUpChips pic.twitter.com/Az5f6JHZVm
— CMU Football (@CMU_Football) July 18, 2017
Central Michigan fifth-year senior Corey Willis returns to the Chippewas as the team's leading receiver from a year ago. Willis paced the team with 1,091 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns; the nine scores overall tied for a team lead.
For his career, the native of Holland, MI has played in 35 games and logged over 1,700 yards from scrimmage to go along with 14 touchdowns. He and teammate Ty Conklin, who is on the Mackey Award preseason watch list, enter the 2017 season as CMU's top two targets with a new quarterback, presumably former Michigan signal-caller, grad transfer Shane Morris.
#EMUFB WR Sergio Bailey II Named to Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Read more https://t.co/XOQLupKITB#EMUEagles #OutstandingReceiver #NCFAA pic.twitter.com/PSG1PPOoNP
— Eastern Michigan Athletics (@EMUAthletics) July 18, 2017
Senior Sergio Bailey II will look to build on what was a successful first season at Eastern Michigan since transferring from the junior college level after 2015. Bailey led the Eagles in both receiving yards (868) and receiving TDs (7). He was an integral part in helping get EMU back to a bowl game for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Bailey and fellow senior transfer wideout Antoine Porter will make for a dangerous 1-2 punch on the outside for Eastern in the Mid-American Conference this year.
The Biletnikoff Award winner will be named on December 7 as part of ESPN's College Football Awards Show. Last year's recipient was Oklahoma WR Dede Westbrook. The last time the award went to a player from the state of Michigan was back in 2004, won by former Michigan wideout Braylon Edwards.
