Cardinal wide receiver Michael Wilson ’22 was named to the 2020 Biletnikoff Award watch list by the Tallahassee Quarterback Foundation, the organization announced last Thursday. The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in college football.

The last Stanford receiver to win the Biletnikoff Award was Troy Walters in 1999.

As one of the few consistent bright spots for a Cardinal team that finished 4-8 (3-6 Pac-12) last season, Wilson led the team with 56 catches and 672 yards to complement 5 touchdowns, good for second-most on the team. He also set a career high for catches in a game with 10 against Notre Dame on Nov. 30, 2019, logging 96 yards and a touchdown. The athletic receiver showcased his versatility last season on punt returns too, with 12 punts returned for 72 yards. 

The Cardinal cycled through three quarterbacks last season, with KJ Costello ’20, Davis Mills ’21 and Jack West ’22 all starting at least one game. With Mills as the projected starter for the entirety of next season, barring injury, Wilson and the rest of the Cardinal’s skill players look to find more season-long consistency on offense. 

Wilson’s career accolades include a Pac-12 All-Academic Honor Roll selection in 2019 and the 2019 Frank Rehm Award, given to the top player in the Big Game, which is the annual rivalry game between Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley. He has also been named to the 2020 Preseason All-Pac 12 Team as both a wide receiver and a punt returner by Athlon Sports. 

The Biletnikoff Award winner will be announced on Dec. 10, 2020 at The Home Depot College Football Awards in Atlanta.

Contact Kushal Shah at 21kushals ‘at’ students.harker.org.