Bulldogs’ KeeSean Johnson on Biletnikoff watch list. What are his chances?
Fresno State wideout KeeSean Johnson for the second year in a row has secured a spot on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented annually to the outstanding receiver in college football, and he could have a legitimate shot to at least catch and run his way to the college football awards show in December.
The Bulldogs’ senior receiver is one of the top seven returning receivers in the nation in 2018 ranked by number of receptions – as a junior, Johnson caught 77 passes for 1,013 yards with eight touchdowns.
And playing with Marcus McMaryion, Johnson is one of five in that group who have a returning quarterback to work with this season.
A receiver from a Group of Five conference has been a finalist for the award the past two seasons and in three of the past four.
In 2017, Colorado State wideout Michael Gallup, who led the Mountain West with 100 receptions with 1,413 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, was one of three finalists for the award won by Oklahoma State receiver James Washington.
In 2016, East Carolina receiver Zay Jones was a finalist when the Biletnikoff Award was won by Dede Westbrook from Oklahoma. In 2014, Colorado State’s Rashard Higgins was a finlist for the award won by Amari Cooper from Alabama.
Johnson has had some of his most productive games against the Bulldogs’ biggest opponents, last season catching eight passes for 55 yards against No. 1 Alabama, six for 119 yards and two touchdowns against No. 22 Boise State in the regular-season finale and eight for 95 yards in the Hawaii Bowl victory over Houston.
The 6-foot-2 senior has at least one reception in 36 consecutive games, a Fresno State record, and enters his senior season with 180 career receptions for 2,123 yards and 16 touchdowns and a chance to finish his career as the most prolific pass catcher in school history. He is just 53 receptions behind Davante Adams (233, from 2012-13). Charlie Jones (1992-95) holds the school record for receiving yards (3,344 from 1992-95), 1,221 yards ahead of Johnson. Adams holds the Fresno State record for touchdown receptions with 38.
McMaryion, Allison on watch lists, too
Johnson is the third Bulldogs player to garner national attention this week with McMaryion on the watch list for the Maxwell Award and linebacker Jeffrey Allison on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
There are two other players from the Mountain West Conference (Nevada’s McLane Mannix, Hawaii’s John Ursua) on the 50-player watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, named in honor of college and NFL Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff and open to a player at any position (wideout, tight end, running back). Johnson is one of nine players on the watch list for a second consecutive season.
The 10 semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 12 with the three finalists to be announced on Nov. 20. The award will be presented by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation on Dec. 6 as part of the Home Depot college football awards show on ESPN.