Penn State lands two on Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list
The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the best receiver in major college football annually. This year, its preseason watch list of 43 players includes two Penn State selections, Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington.
Penn State is one of only two programs to feature two preseason watch list selections. The other is Texas, with Xavier Worthy and Isaiah Neyor both making the preliminary group.
Rakim Jarrett of Maryland, Jayden Reed of Michigan State, and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba are the other Big Ten receivers to be included.
Jordan Addison, the Pitt receiver who transferred to Southern Cal this offseason, is the reigning winner of the award.
Penn State Biletnikoff picks
In Washington, Penn State’s second-leading receiver returns for his third season as a Nittany Lion. Notching receptions in every game he’s appeared through his career, he’s finished as a consistent complement to Jahan Dotson each of the past two seasons.
The performances have drawn the attention not just of Penn State fans, but also his teammates and coaches as his junior year quickly approaches.
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“Parker, he’s a great player,” said safety Ji’Ayir Brown this spring. “He’s been a great player since I spotted him during the summer of last season. He creates matchup problems. He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s smart. He’s a great player and I noticed that since I spotted Parker in the summer.”
To date, Washington has 100 career receptions with 1,310 yards.
Mitchell Tinsley’s expectations
Paired with Washington for the first time this season will be offseason transfer, Mitchell Tinsley.
Making an instant impression with his consistency and maturity at the position, Tinsley’s performances at Western Kentucky are expected to continue with the Nittany Lions. Those included a prolific 87 receptions for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns, including six 100-yard performances.
The addition is expected to deliver big dividends to the Nittany Lions.
“The biggest thing is, he’s a hands catcher,” Jim Nagy, Senior Bowl director, told BWI this spring. “When you throw it in his frame, a lot of guys like to body that and he’s just really natural hand placement and he’s very consistent. He’s very consistent. And then (it was) the Michigan State game, he makes a one-handed, over-the-shoulder catch down the field on a vertical route. I mean, he’s a skilled catcher of the football.
“It was a great pickup by Penn State… If you can get a guy on a one-year deal that can come in and upgrade a position group, that’s huge. I think Mitchell’s gonna step right in there and do good things for Penn State.”
Additionally, Tinsley was a second-team All-Conference USA pick last season.
Penn State preseason award watch lists (updating)
Sean Clifford – Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award
Keyvone Lee – Doak Walker Award
Chris Stoll – AFCA Good Works Team
Parker Washington – Biletnikoff Award
Mitchell Tinsley – Biletnikoff Award
