The SEC is loaded into the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, with 13 wide receivers earning spots as the 2026 college football season creeps closer.
The award, which honors the top pass-catcher, released its preseason list on Wednesday. While the full watch list also includes tight ends, every SEC player on it is a wide receiver.
LSU leads the conference presence with Tre Brown III and Jackson Harris on the list. Texas is right there too, thanks to Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo. Alabama’s Ryan Coleman-Williams made the cut, as did Texas A&M’s Mario Craver and Mississippi State’s Anthony Evans III.
Oklahoma has a pair of receivers on the watch list in Trell Harris and Isaiah Sategna III. Tennessee is represented by Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley, while Vanderbilt’s Junior Sherrill, Auburn’s Keshaun Singleton and LSU’s Tre Brown III round out the SEC names.
The complete SEC group on the watch list is: Tre Brown III, LSU WR; Cam Coleman, Texas WR; Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama WR; Mario Craver, Texas A&M WR; Anthony Evans III, Mississippi State WR; Jackson Harris, LSU WR; Trell Harris, Oklahoma WR; Mike Matthews, Tennessee WR; Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma WR; Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt WR; Keshaun Singleton, Auburn WR; Braylon Staley, Tennessee WR; and Ryan Wingo, Texas WR.
Recent winners have come from other leagues, with the award going to Big Ten receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2023 and Makai Lemon in 2025, plus Big 12 winner Travis Hunter in 2024. Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt was the SEC’s most recent winner in 2022.
The next checkpoints are set for Nov. 16, when semifinalists are announced, and Nov. 24, when the three finalists are revealed. The winner will be presented Dec. 11 on the College Football Awards show.
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One name drawing more attention is Faizon Brandon, the true freshman who has apparently made his case in recent work against George MacIntyre. Recent reporting pointed to Brandon landing several deep throws in a scrimmage, the kind of flash that can speed up a staffs thinking even when the race is far from officially over. If Tennessee is leaning toward getting clarity sooner rather than later, this battle may be nearing a decision point. [Read more 🡒]
