The Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver, has a pretty good chance of going to a Central Texan.
Zay Jones of East Carolina and Dede Westbrook of Oklahoma are two of the three finalists, and they have strong area ties. Jones is an Austin High alum; Westbrook graduated from Cameron Yoe.
Austin Carr of Northwestern joins them among the Biletnikoff finalists, and he is considered the long shot.
Jones broke the NCAA career receptions record Saturday. He has 392 catches, breaking the national mark set by former East Carolina teammate Justin Hardy in 2014.
Zay Jones, the son of former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Robert Jones and brother of Texas ex and Arizona star Cayleb Jones, is the only FBS player to average double-digit receptions per game.
This year Jones has 151 catches for 1,685 yards, which comes to 13.7 catches per game. His 153.2 yards per game also leads the nation.
His margin over the player with the second-most catches is 48. His margin over the player with the second-most yards is 331. His margin over the player with the second-most yards per game is 30.1.
Jones has one game left in his college career, Saturday at Temple, as East Carolina will not make a bowl.
Westbrook has burst onto the scene as a senior and had a phenomenal season. He leads all Power Five players in receiving yards (1,354) and receiving yards per game (123.1), and is tied for first with a school-record-tying 15 receiving touchdowns.
The numbers are even more daunting when knowing Westbrook battled a hamstring injury for three games, in which he averaged 51.3 yards and did not score a touchdown.
In the eight games since he’s been healthy, Westbrook has amassed 53 catches for 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns. The 1,200 yards are the most ever by a Sooner in a eight-game stretch (next highest total is 1,070 by Ryan Broyles in 2011), as are the 15 receiving TDs.
Not only does Westbrook have the most receiving yards in the country since Oct. 1, no player is within 73 yards of him.
His 15 receiving scores have come, in order, from 67, 40, 71, 42, 47, 26, 8, 88, 49, 23, 41, 65, 29, 40 and 75 yards, for an average of 47.4 yards.
In Big 12 play, Westbrook ranks first in the conference in receiving yards (150.0 per game) and points (12.2 per game). His 150.0 receiving yards per Big 12 contest are 55 more than the next closest player (Oklahoma State’s James Washington; 95.0).
Biletnikoff Award Finalists
Isaiah “Zay” Jones, WR, East Carolina
Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma
Austin Carr, WR, Northwestern