Penn State's Pat Freiermuth Named to Biletnikoff Award Watch List

The Penn State tight end is listed among the nation's top receivers.

Penn State's Pat Freiermuth is a candidate to make history this season in becoming the first tight end to win the Biletnikoff Award.

Freiermuth is among 55 players, just four of whom are tight ends, named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list Thursday. Though anyone who catches a pass is eligible to win the award, receivers have claimed every trophy since 1994, when Penn State's Bobby Engram was the inaugural winner.

Freiermuth will land on another watch list Friday, when the John Mackey Award releases its candidates for the nation's best tight end. Freiermuth has made no secret that he wants to win the Mackey Award, but being nominated for the Biletnikoff underscores Freiermuth's value to Penn State offense.

Freiermuth returns as Penn State's leader in receptions, having made 43 last season (second on the team behind KJ Hamler). Freiermuth has caught a pass in 25 consecutive games and is tied with Mike Gesicki for the Penn State record for touchdown receptions among tight ends (15).

After deciding to return Penn State this season instead of entering the NFL draft, Freiermuth said he understood expectations would be high.

"Obviously I’m aware of those things and the preseason hype and all that, but I actually deleted my social media [this spring] to stay away from that and not get my head wrapped around that," he said. "I need to focus on my time at Penn State and try to take full advantage of this, because if I don’t have a good season or I don’t perform, then it’s all down the drain."

Joining Freiermuth on the Biletnikoff Award watch list are fellow tight ends Kylen Granson of SMU, Charlie Kolar of Iowa State and Kyle Pitts of Florida.

Here's a tracker of Penn State's preseason awards candidates.

Lott IMPACT Trophy: Linebacker Micah Parsons

Chuck Bednarik Award: Linebacker Micah Parsons

Davey O'Brien Award: Quarterback Sean Clifford

Doak Walker Award: Running backs Journey Brown, Noah Cain

Biletnikoff Award: Tight end Pat Freiermuth

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