2023 BILETNIKOFF AWARD SEMIFINALISTS

November 19, 2023
Site Owner Todd Helmick also maintains an Official Heisman Vote

Todd Helmick's vote for the Biletnikoff Award Semifinalists in no way reflects the views or voting outcome of the Biletnikoff Award, created and sponsored by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. This is the ballot of Todd Helmick. The official Biletnikoff Award winner will be announced on December 8, 2023 on The Home Depot College Football Awards.

Visit the official Biletnikoff Award website for details: https://biletnikoffaward.com/

BIG GAME COMPARISON
--- Comparing statistics versus their toughest opponents ---

NationalChamps.net will create and utilize another approach to selecting the Biletnikoff Award winner, which no other publication attempts. Each candidate will have his statistics from the three toughest opponents played in 2023 added and totaled. We'll put them side-by-side.

THE SEMIFINALISTS BALLOT

Three candidates are likely to be finalists for this award. Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze.

If the evaluation is based purely on statistics, LSU receiver Malik Nabers is running away from the other two much like his Bayou Bengal teammate/quarterback Jayden Daniels is beginning to separate from other Heisman candidates statistically. Are these Baton Rouge number explosions a product of system? Not quite. However, the biggest name on most receiver boards (including the Mel Kiper's of the NFL world) is Marvin Harrison Jr. Well documented is Harrison in the Who's Who list. His father is Marvin Harrison, a NFL Hall of Famer after 13 years with the Indianapolis Colts. What gave Harrison the slight edge on this semifinalist list was his big game dominance. A voter has to watch games, period. Against Penn State, Harrison's 11 receptions were not just big numbers, the receptions came again and again on big third down plays and at times when the Buckeyes needed them to win. Much like watching Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, when it's third and 14 and the offense needs a huge play, amazingly guys like Bowers and Harrison come through over and over, even when the defense knows where the ball is going.

Husky receiver Rome Odunze is not far off. To be a great receiver with big time numbers, one must have a great quarterback throwing the ball. Four of these top five candidates have their quarterback in the thick of the Heisman Race including Odunze with Michael Penix, Malik Nabers with Jayden Daniels, Keon Coleman with Travis Jordan and Troy Franklin with Bo Nix. Funny how that works isn't it? Ironically, while most voters should not confuse individual awards with team success, the fact is when your team is successful someone has to be responsible.

The difficulty of finalizing a list of the nation's best ten receivers among 50+ candidates can be daunting. Many post-season awards such as the Heisman Trophy require a voter to just select three candidates one time. Others such at the Biletnikoff Award require a voter to pick a multitude of semi-finalists, then whittle it down to finalists and then eventually a winner. After two decades of putting together both preseason and post-season lists, this voter attempts to look at every piece of information available. Certainly statistics play a huge role if not the biggest. Second in line is the eye test. A voter has to watch as many games and highlights as possible. There is also consideration given to strength of schedule, the type of offense being employed, how a candidate has proven themselves over the past two to three seasons, not just the season at hand. Although these awards are 100% based on 2023, there are times when close decisions call for more indulgence such as "Was this player a one year wonder?" or "Has this player been at the top of awards lists for more than just 2023?" So many factors to consider. Todd Helmick chooses to go even deeper by evaluating how a candidate does against his toughest competition. Although even that too can be skewed. In a case like the Biletnikoff Award, sometimes the best defense faced is not the same as the best cover man being faced. There is much to consider and selections should not made in haste.

Marvin Harrison Jr.
Ohio State
Class: Junior
Height: 6'4 Weight: 205
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Team Record: 11-0
Receiving (11 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
62 1093 17.6 13 99.4 2 26 13.0 1
Big Game Comparison ..
20 317 15.9 3 105.7 0 0 0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/2 at Indiana
Won 23-3
2
18
0
0
0
0
9/9 Youngstown State
Won 35-7
7
160
2
0
0
0
9/16 Western Kentucky
Won 63-10
5
126
1
1
7
0
9/23 at Notre Dame
Won 17-14
3
32
0
0
0
0
10/7 Maryland
Won 37-17
8
163
1
0
0
0
10/14 at Purdue
Won 41-7
6
105
1
0
0
0
10/21Penn State
Won 20-12
11
162
1
0
0
0
10/28 at Wisconsin
Won 24-10
6
123
2
0
0
0
11/4 at Rutgers
Won 35-16
4
25
2
0
0
0
11/11 Michigan State
Won 38-3
7
149
2
1
19
1
11/18 Minnesota
Won 37-3
3
30
1
0
0
0
 
Malik Nabers
Louisiana State
Class: Junior
Height: 6'0 Weight: 200
Hometown: Youngsville, LA
Team Record: 8-3
Receiving (11 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
80 1424 17.8 12 129.5 1 1 1.0 0
Big Game Comparison ..
22 384 17.5 2 128.0 1 1 1.0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/3 vs. Florida State
Lost 24-45
6
67
0
0
0
0
9/9 Grambling
Won 72-10
5
87
1
0
0
0
9/16 at Mississippi State
Won 41-14
13
239
2
0
0
0
9/23 Arkansas
Won 34-31
8
130
2
0
0
0
9/30 at Ole Miss
Lost 49-55
8
102
0
0
0
0
10/7 at Missouri
Won 49-39
6
146
1
1
1
0
10/14 Auburn
Won 48-18
6
89
1
0
0
0
10/21 Army
Won 62-0
4
121
2
0
0
0
11/4 at Alabama
Lost 28-42
10
171
1
0
0
0
11/11 Florida
Won 52-35
6
132
0
0
0
0
11/18 Georgia State
Won 56-14
8
140
2
0
0
0
 
Rome Odunze
Washington
Class: Junior
Height: 6'3 Weight: 215
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Team Record: 11-0
Receiving (11 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
66 1206 18.3 11 109.6 1 14 14.0 1
Big Game Comparison ..
18 345 19.2 6 115.0 0 0 0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/2 Boise State
Won 56-19
7
132
1
0
0
0
9/9 Tulsa
Won 43-10
7
107
1
1
14
1
9/16 at Michigan State
Won 41-7
8
180
0
0
0
0
9/23 California
Won 59-32
5
125
2
0
0
0
9/30 at Arizona
Won 31-24
5
64
0
0
0
0
10/14 Oregon
Won 36-33
8
128
2
0
0
0
10/21 Arizona State
Won 15-7
5
82
0
0
0
0
10/28 at Stanford
Won 42-33
6
89
1
0
0
0
11/4 at Southern California
Won 52-42
5
82
0
0
0
0
11/11 Utah
Won 35-28
3
111
2
0
0
0
11/18 at Oregon State
Won 22-20
7
106
2
0
0
0
 
Keon Coleman
Florida State
Class: Junior
Height: 6'4 Weight: 215
Hometown: Opelousas, LA
Team Record: 11-0
Receiving (10 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
45 615 13.7 11 61.5 1 2 2.0 0
Big Game Comparison ..
16 262 16.4 5 87.3 0 0 0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/3 vs. Louisiana State
Won 45-24
9
122
3
0
0
0
9/9 Southern Miss
Won 66-13
3
48
1
0
0
0
9/16 at Boston College
Won 31-29
0
0
0
1
2
0
9/23 at Clemson
Won 31-24
5
86
2
0
0
0
10/7 Virginia Tech
Won 39-17
3
22
0
0
0
0
10/14 Syracuse
Won 41-3
9
140
1
0
0
0
10/21 Duke
Won 38-20
2
54
0
0
0
0
10/28 at Wake Forest
Won 41-16
7
66
2
0
0
0
11/4 at Pittsburgh (Did Not Play)
Won 24-7
-
-
-
-
-
-
11/11 Miami FL
Won 52-42
4
24
1
0
0
0
11/18 North Alabama
Won 58-13
3
53
1
0
0
0
 
Troy Franklin
Oregon
Class: Junior
Height: 6'3 Weight: 187
Hometown: East Palo Alto, CA
Team Record: 10-1
Receiving (11 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
68 1221 18.0 13 111.0 0 0 0 0
Big Game Comparison ..
18 400 22.2 3 133.3 0 0 0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/2 Portland State
Won 81-7
7
106
2
0
0
0
9/9 at Texas Tech
Won 38-30
6
103
1
0
0
0
9/16 Hawai'i
Won 55-10
4
83
0
0
0
0
9/23 Colorado
Won 42-6
8
126
2
0
0
0
9/30 at Stanford
Won 42-6
7
117
2
0
0
0
10/14 at Washington
Lost 33-36
8
154
1
0
0
0
10/21 Washington State
Won 38-24
4
79
0
0
0
0
10/28 at Utah
Won 35-6
8
99
1
0
0
0
11/4 California
Won 63-19
6
79
1
0
0
0
11/11 Southern California
Won 36-27
2
147
1
0
0
0
11/18 at Arizona State
Won 49-13
8
128
2
0
0
0
 
Xavier Legette
South Carolina
Class: Senior
Height: 6'3 Weight: 227
Hometown: Mullins, SC
Team Record: 5-6
Receiving (11 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
65 1187 18.3 7 107.9 4 3 0.8 0
Big Game Comparison ..
13 141 10.8 3 133.3 2 6 3.0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/2 vs. North Carolina
Lost 17-31
9
178
0
1
-2
0
9/9 Furman
Won 47-21
6
118
1
1
-1
0
9/16 at Georgia
Lost 14-24
7
71
0
1
-1
0
9/23 Mississippi State
Won 37-30
5
189
2
0
0
0
9/30 at Tennessee
Lost 20-41
5
50
0
1
7
0
10/14 Florida
Lost 39-41
5
110
0
0
0
0
10/21 at Missouri
Lost 12-34
1
20
0
0
0
0
10/28 at Texas A&M
Lost 17-30
3
20
0
0
0
0
11/4 Jacksonville State
Won 38-28
9
217
2
0
0
0
11/11 Vanderbilt
Won 47-6
9
120
0
0
0
0
11/18 Kentucky
Won 17-14
6
94
2
0
0
0
 
Luther Burden III
Missouri
Class: Sophomore
Height: 5'11 Weight: 208
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Team Record: 9-2
Receiving (11 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
77 1142 14.8 8 103.8 6 11 1.8 0
Big Game Comparison ..
18 228 12.7 2 76.0 2 0 0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
8/31 South Dakota
Won 35-10
7
96
1
1
2
0
9/9 Middle Tennessee
Won 23-19
8
117
0
0
0
0
9/16 Kansas State
Won 30-27
7
114
2
0
0
0
9/23 Memphis
Won 34-27
10
177
0
0
0
0
9/30 at Vanderbilt
Won 38-21
11
140
2
0
0
0
10/7 Louisiana State
Lost 39-49
11
149
0
1
0
0
10/14 at Kentucky
Won 38-21
2
15
0
1
6
0
10/21 South Carolina
Won 34-12
5
97
1
2
3
0
11/4 at Georgia
Lost 21-30
3
53
1
0
0
0
11/11 Tennessee
Won 36-7
4
26
1
1
0
0
11/18 Florida
Won 33-31
9
158
0
0
0
0
 
Lajohntay Wester
Florida Atlantic
Class: Junior
Height: 5'11 Weight: 167
Hometown: Palmetto, FL
Team Record: 4-7
Receiving (10 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
68 984 14.5 8 98.4 6 11 1.8 0
Big Game Comparison ..
36 331 9.2 1 110.3 1 0 0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/2 Monmouth
Won 42-20
6
55
1
1
21
0
9/9 Ohio
Lost 10-17
12
101
0
0
0
0
9/16 at Clemson
Lost 14-48
12
108
0
1
3
0
9/23 at Illinois
Lost 17-23
13
137
1
0
0
0
10/7 Tulsa
Won 20-17
9
98
0
2
4
0
10/14 at South Florida
Won 56-14
10
123
1
0
0
0
10/21 UTSA
Lost 10-36
4
14
0
0
0
0
10/27 at Charlotte
Won 38-16
10
149
2
0
0
0
11/4 at UAB
Lost 42-45
11
219
3
1
3
1
11/11 East Carolina
Lost 7-22
6
38
0
1
12
0
11/18 Tulane
Lost 8-24
11
86
0
1
0
0
 
Xavier Worthy
Texas
Class: Junior
Height: 6'1 Weight: 172
Hometown: Fresno, CA
Team Record: 10-7
Receiving (11 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
63 834 13.2 4 75.8 4 35 8.8 0
Big Game Comparison ..
18 231 12.8 1 77.0 1 3 3.0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/2 Rice
Won 37-10
7
90
0
0
0
0
9/9 at Alabama
Won 34-24
5
75
1
1
3
0
9/16 Wyoming
Won 31-10
4
56
1
1
0
0
9/23 at Baylor
Won 38-6
3
31
1
0
0
0
9/30 Kansas
Won 40-14
7
93
0
0
0
0
10/7 vs Oklahoma
Lost 30-34
8
108
0
0
0
0
10/21 at Houston
Won 31-24
6
92
1
0
0
0
10/28 Brigham Young
Won 35-6
4
27
0
0
0
0
11/4 Kansas State
Won 33-30 OT
5
48
0
1
16
0
11/11 at TCU
Won 29-26
10
137
0
0
0
0
11/18 at Iowa State
Won 26-16
4
77
0
1
16
0
 
Caullin Lacy
South Alabama
Class: Junior
Height: 5'10 Weight: 190
Hometown: Mobile, AL
Team Record: 6-5
Receiving (11 games played)
Rushing
REC YDS AVG TD AVG/G ATT YDS AVG TD
80 1222 15.3 6 111.1 0 0 0 0
Big Game Comparison ..
18 296 16.4 2 98.7 0 0 0 0
Game Log .. Receiving Rushing
DATE & OPP
RESULT
REC
YDS
TD
ATT
YDS
TD
9/2 at Tulane
Lost 17-37
7
60
0
0
0
0
9/9 SE Louisiana
Won 35-17
8
139
1
0
0
0
9/16 at Oklahoma State
Won 33-7
5
104
2
0
0
0
9/23 Central Michigan
Lost 30-34
6
132
2
0
0
0
9/30 at James Madison
Lost 23-31
6
132
0
0
0
0
10/7 at Louisiana-Monroe
Won 55-7
7
156
1
0
0
0
10/17 Southern Miss
Won 55-3
9
103
0
0
0
0
10/28 Louisiana
Lost 20-33
7
131
0
0
0
0
11/2 at Troy
Lost 10-28
9
89
0
0
0
0
11/11 Arkansas State
Won 21-14
7
50
0
0
0
0
11/18 Marshall
Won 28-0
9
126
0
0
0
0