Fields included on Biletnikoff Award watch list

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Posted on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, 5:00 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

Virginia wide receiver Malachi Fields has been named to the preseason Biletnikoff Award Watch List, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Wednesday.

Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back), who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes college football’s outstanding receiver, not merely college football’s outstanding wide receiver.
Fields was voted an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection in 2023 after starting in all 12 possible games and finishing second on the team in both receptions (58) and receiving yards (811). He tallied at least 60 receiving yards in 11 games and finished fourth in the ACC in receiving yards per game (67.6).
Fields had a career game in the Cavaliers’ 2023 season finale against Virginia Tech, when he hauled in six catches – two of which were touchdowns – to record a career-high 89 receiving yards. His 89 receiving yards against the Hokies put him over 1,000 for his career.

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. 
Receivers are frequently added to the watch list as their season performances dictate. Actual, not potential, performance is the basis for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
The Biletnikoff Award candidate eligibility and voting criteria, transparently explicit and detailed, are available for review at BiletnikoffAward.com/criteria. 
The 10 semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 18 and the three finalists will be announced on Nov. 26. The 2024 recipient of the trophy will be announced on ESPN’s live presentation of The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12.
The Biletnikoff Award Banquet & Celebration honors the 2024 Biletnikoff Award Winner on March 29, 2025 at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
The name Biletnikoff is synonymous with the term receiver. Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, was a consensus 1st team All-America receiver at Florida State University, the Seminoles’ very first, and an All-Pro receiver for the Oakland Raiders. He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978. Fred was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI.