Pass catchers BAYBEEE
It’s AWARD WATCH LIST season for Notre Dame football and the rest of the country. On Wednesday, Irish WT Kris Mitchell and TE Mitchell Evans were named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list.
From the ND press release:
Evans, Mitchell Earn Selection to Biletnikoff Award Watch List
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior tight end Mitchell Evans and graduate wide receiver Kris Mitchell have both earned selection to the 2024 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List. The 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. This marks Mitchell’s second selection to the award’s watch list, having also been named in 2023.
Notre Dame has had one winner of the Biletnikoff Award: wide receiver Golden Tate in 2009. Receivers Jeff Samardzija (2005, 2006) and Michael Floyd (2010, 2011) were finalists for the award.
Evans had a breakout season in 2023 before being sidelined with an injury. He played in eight games as a junior, starting seven, and ended the season as the team’s top receiving target, averaging 52.8 yards per game. Through those eight games, Evans totaled 29 receptions for 422 yards and a touchdown during the season, averaging 14.6 yards per catch.
In 2023, Mitchell led CUSA and ranked in the Top 20 nationally in receiving yards (1,118 – 18th nationally) and receiving yards per game (93.2 – 13th nationally). He owns 100 career receptions for 1,663 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2023, Mitchell played in all 12 games in 2023, finishing the season as FIU’s leading receiver as he totaled 64 catches for 1,118 yards with seven touchdowns. He averaged 93.2 yards per game, recording at least one reception in all 12 games and multiple receptions in 11 games.
The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 600 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.