Purdue sixth-year senior wide receiver Charlie Jones was among 12 semifinalists for the 2022 Biletnikoff Award, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Monday.
The award is given annually to college football's best receiver, regardless of position. Last year's recipient was former Pittsburgh wide receiver Jordan Addison.
Jones, a transfer from Iowa in the offseason, leads the Big Ten Conference in receptions per game (8.5), receiving yards (1,056) and receiving touchdowns (11) so far during the 2022 season.
The Boilermakers have had several talented wide receivers in recent years. Taylor Stubblefield earned the Biletnikoff Award in 2004, and David Bell was a finalist last season. Both players finished as consensus All-Americans at their position.
Last year with the Hawkeyes, Jones had just 21 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns. He needed just three games to surpass those marks with a new program. In his debut showing with the Purdue offense, he recorded 12 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown against Penn State in the team's season opener.
Jones caught nine passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns in just one half of play against Indiana State. Against Syracuse in Week 3, he went for a career-high 188 yards to go along with one score, becoming the eighth player in program history to record three straight 100-yard receiving games.
The former Hawkeye went for over 100 yards in three straight games again for the Boilermakers in matchups against Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Three finalists will be selected on Monday, Nov. 28. The winner of the award will be announced Thursday, Dec. 8, on ESPN as part of The Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
2022 Biletnikoff Award semifinalists
- Jordan Addison, USC
- Brock Bowers, Georgia
- Nathaniel Dell, Houston
- Josh Downs, North Carolina
- Zay Flowers, Boston College
- Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
- Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
- Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
- Quentin Johnston, TCU
- Charlie Jones, Purdue
- Rashee Rice, SMU
- Keylon Stokes, Tulsa
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