Oregon WR Troy Franklin Named Semifinalist for Biletnikoff Award
East Palo Alto native, Troy Franklin has been selected as one of 10 semifinalists for the 2023 Biletnikoff Award, announced on Monday by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation Inc. The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the nation's most outstanding receiver in college football.
The only other Duck to be named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award was Demetrius Williams in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
Franklin has had a historic season in his third year with the Ducks, setting multiple single-season records against Arizona State this past Saturday.
Franklin set Oregon's single-season receiving yards and receiving touchdowns records, having 1,221 yards and 13 touchdowns through eleven games. He passed Dillon Mitchell’s single-season receiving yards record of 1,184 yards and Josh Huff and Jeff Maehl’s record of 12 receiving touchdowns in a single season.
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin catches a touchdown pass from Bo Nix against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
“I think it shows the work and the production I’m putting out there,” Franklin said following the win over Arizona State Saturday.
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin celebrates a touchdown against the Colorado Buffaloes.
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin catches a touchdown pass against the Washington HusOregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin catches a touchdown pass against the Washington Huskies.
Darby Winter/Ducks Digest
He’s had seven 100-plus receiving yards performances and four two-touchdown games so far this season.
“Best receiver in the nation,” Lanning said of Franklin. “This guy is the definition of consistency right now … he’s a special player that comes to work, that wants that ownership of what it means to be an elite receiver.”
Franklin ranks fourth in the country in receiving yards per game, averaging 111 yards, and second in receiving touchdowns (13), which is tied with fellow Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr.
Oregon's star wideout needs nine just more receptions to break the program record of 77 all-time receptions and he's currently tied the all-time Oregon record of 24 career receiving touchdowns. Franklin has the chance to break those program records against Oregon State this Friday, in the regular season finale.
The three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award will be announced on Nov. 28th and the winner of the award will be named during the Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN on December 8.
If Franklin wins the award he will be the first Oregon Duck to do so in program history, and he'd also be the fifth Pac-12 receiver to win the award, behind Troy Walters (Stanford-1999), Mike Hass (Oregon State-2005), Marqise Lee (USC-2012) and Brandin Cooks (Oregon State-2013).
