Downs Named Semifinalist For Biletnikoff Award

Tallahassee, Fla. – North Carolina sophomore wide receiver Josh Downs has been named a semifinalist for the 2021 Biletnikoff Award, announced Monday by The Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc.

Downs leads the ACC and ranks third nationally with 82 receptions and 1,109 receiving yards and has scored eight receiving touchdowns in 2021.

The Suwanee, Georgia, native has been a consistent force all season long catching eight or more receptions in nine of 10 games. Downs is second nationally with 661 yards after catch, while his 11 receptions of 30 or more yards is tied for the most in the ACC.

Also a lethal punt returner, Downs is 10^th in the country averaging 11.0 yards per punt return.

The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes college football's outstanding receiver, not merely college football's outstanding wide receiver.

The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. For a list of voters, please see BiletnikoffAward.com/voters.

The Biletnikoff Award candidate eligibility and voting criteria, transparently explicit and detailed, are available for review at BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria.

Recently, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation opened the 2021 FanVote. Every fan may vote once daily on the Biletnikoff Award FanVote page. The aggregate fan tally will be counted as one official vote to determine semi-finalists (ten receivers), finalists (three receivers), and the winner. In the closest contest in years, the FanVote tally provided the one-vote margin of victory for 2013 winner Brandin Cooks of Oregon State.

The 2021 Biletnikoff Award semifinalists are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Jordan Addison, Pitt
David Bell, Purdue
Jahan Dotson, Penn State
Josh Downs, North Carolina
Drake London, USC
Chris Olave, Ohio State
A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
Jerreth Sterns, Western Kentucky
Deven Thompkins, Utah State
Jameson Williams, Alabama

Players Mentioned

Josh Downs

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