The Biletnikoff Award is the de facto award for the top wide receiver in FBS. It was widely projected that Jeremiah Smith, who got votes for the Heisman Trophy, would walk away with the award. Still, it was Makai Lemon who ended up taking home the trophy, and Smith who got robbed as the rightful winner.
The award is given to any player who receives a forward pass in FBS college football. This is regardless of position, meaning a tight end, wing back, or running back could win the award, although it has consistently gone to wide receivers. Tight end Kyle Pitt was a finalist in 2020, and other tight ends have been semi-finalists. It is also noted by the award that this is for a single-season performance, not a collective award for a career.
The Biletnikoff was first given in 1994, with Booby Engram of Penn State taking home the first award. Since then, players such as Randy Moss, Braylon Edwards, Calvin Johnson, Brandin Cooks, Amari Cooper, Ja'Marr Chase, and Marvin Harrison Jr. have all taken the award for the top pass catcher.
This year, Makai Lemon from USC, Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State, and Skyler Bell from UConn were all finalists for the award. This was the second straight year that Smith was a finalist, and a second straight year he did not come home with the award.
Jeremiah Smith was the top receiver this year
Smith was amazing this year. The Ohio State receiver brought in 80 receptions for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns. He finished seventh in the nation in receptions, ahead of Lemon, who finished ninth. Bell did finish second in the nation with 101 receptions. He also finished seventh in the nation in receiving yards. Bell finished second with 1,278, and Lemon finished fourth with 1,156. His 11 touchdowns tied him for 6th, tied with Lemon, while Bell finished second with 13 scores.
Still, while his stats are second or third among the trio, there is another major difference. Going into the season, Smith was seen by most of the nation as the top wide receiver, while Bell and Lemon were not on a lot of radars. This means defensive units keyed in on him. The Buckeye receiver led the nation in the number of times he was the focus of double coverage, and, at times, also faced triple coverage while still coming away with receptions.
There is also the impact on the team that the wideout had. He failed to score just four times during the season. One was against Texas in the first game of the season, where his quarterback, Julian Sayin, was still adjusting to the offense. He did not score against Wisconsin either, but brought in nine receptions for 97 yards in that game. Against UCLA, he played just one half and still had 40 yards on four catches. Finally, agaisnt Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, he did not score, but brought in eight receptions for 144 yards.
He was also not always the primary target. Unlike Lemon and Bell, where their quarterback often had no choice but to throw it in the direction of their top receiver, that was not the case with Smith. He still put up amazing numbers while having Carnell Tate on the other side. Tate brought in 48 receptions for 838 yards and nine scores this year. While Lemon and Bell both had amazing years, this is not an award totally based on numbers. Instead, this is about being the best pass catcher, and there is no doubt that it was Smith.
Why Makai Lemon won the award
The supporting cast played a major role in giving Lemon the award. While Jayden Maiava is a solid quarterback, he was not on the level of Sayin. Saying was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. It is much easier to bring in passes from a Heisman-level quarterback than one who did not even make one of the conference's first or second teams.
Lemon did have some major games when the team needed him. In a tight win against Michigan State, he brought in eight receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown, while also running in a score. Against Illinois, he brought in 151 yards and two scores as the team lost by two points. Further, he had 153 yards and a score against a tough Iowa defense, and near the end of the year, scored twice against Oregon. His percentage of touchdowns compared to the team total for Lemon was much higher than that of Smith.
Lemon also brought in the best advanced metrics and grade from Pro Football Focus this year, showing that even in the underlying metrics, Lemon may have had the better year.
Ohio State fans are upset that their man did not win the award, and rightfully so. No receiver made more of an impact on the opposing defense than Smith. Still, they can have hope. To begin with, Ohio State is off to the playoffs. Lemon and Bell will be playing in lower-level bowl games. Most fans would gladly take a National Championship over a receiver winning the Biletnikoff. Further, Smith will have another chance to win the award next season. He has just finished his sophomore season, while Bell is a senior, and Lemon is draft-eligible. Maybe next year with be the year that Smith finally brings home the award.
