UNC Football: Josh Downs added to Biletnikoff Award Watch List

Second-year UNC football player Josh Downs has been added to the prestigious Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

North Carolina sophomore wide receiver Josh Downs has been named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, according to an announcement from the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation on Wednesday.

The prestigious honor for Downs comes after a four-game stretch in which the standout receiver has racked up 32 receptions for 452 yards and five touchdowns. Downs ranks second in the ACC and top 10 nationally in all three categories, as he’s proven to be the Tar Heels’ most explosive and reliable offensive option. He’s also third in the nation with 21 first downs and 273 yards after the catch.

Downs, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound native of Suwanee, Georgia, has hauled in eight receptions in each of his team’s first four games this season. He’s surpassed 100 yards receiving twice, and has at least one touchdown in every game — the first Tar Heel to accomplish that feat in better than four decades.

There’s no doubt that expectations for Downs were high this season, but I’m not sure anyone fully anticipated the kind of impact that he’s had on the Tar Heels’ offensive unit over the first month of play. He didn’t get much playing time as a freshman while waiting behind standout receivers and current NFL players Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome, but he did haul in seven receptions for 119 yards and three touchdowns in limited snaps.

The Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of announcers, commentators, and journalists will vote on the semifinalists, finalists, and the award winner later this year. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation is also giving fans a chance to vote for their selection via the Biletnikoff Award Fan Vote.

Visit the site and cast your vote for Josh Downs today, and check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the UNC football program.