USC Football: JuJu Smith-Schuster Named to Biletnikoff Watch List

USC football wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list for 2016, as one of the top receivers in the nation.

JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t have to wait until round two this time. The Biletnikoff Award watch list for 2016 was released Wednesday with USC’s electric wide receiver making the cut.

Last year the Biletnikoff didn’t include Smith-Schuster on their initial watch list, but added him after the first month of the season. He went on to be a semi-finalist for the award as a sophomore.

His place as a semi-finalist was certainly warranted, as he caught 89 passes for 1,454 yards and ten touchdowns, leading the team in all categories.

Remarkably, Smith-Schuster did all that while playing nearly half of the season with a broken hand.

SEE ALSO: What would it take for Smith-Schuster to break USC receiving records?

In addition to his place among the Biletnikoff semi-finalists, he was a finalist for the 2015 Polynesian Player of the Year Award. He was also named to the All-Pac-12 first team and several All-American second teams.

As a freshman, Smith-Schuster set the stage for his stellar sophomore season, emerging as a partner to Nelson Agholor. Starting 12 games he had 54 receptions for 724 yards and five touchdowns.

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Unsurprisingly, Washington State’s Gabe Marks also made the watch list. What is surprising is that Marks and Smith-Schuster are the only Pac-12 wide receivers who made the cut.

When USC faces Alabama in September, they’ll face two Biletnikoff watch listers — Calvin Ridley and Bowling Green transfer Gehrig Dieter.

USC has had one Biletnikoff winner in the history of the award going back to 1994, though the school has produced four other finalists.

Marqise Lee won the Biletnikoff in 2012 while finalists include Robert Woods in 2011, Dwayne Jarrett in 2005, Mike Williams in 2003, and Keyshawn Johnson in 1995.