Texas Tech senior wide receiver Jakeem Grant (Mesquite, Texas/Horn H.S.) was named to the preseason Watch List for the prestigious Biletnikoff Award.
Sponsored by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, the Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the most outstanding wide receiver in college football. Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree became the first player in the history of the award to win the honor in back-to-back years (2007 and 2008).
The versatile Grant enters his senior season as a dual threat at both wide receiver and in the kick return game. Last year, Grant ranked among Big 12 Conference leaders and led the Red Raiders in all-purpose yardage (124.0), receptions (67), receiving yards (938), receiving yards per game (78.2) and kick return yards (23-515). He was the only player in the Big 12 to gain at least 900 receiving yards and 500 kick return yards. A 2014 Biletnikoff Award Watch List recipient, Grant’s best performance came at Oklahoma State (Sept. 25), when he totaled a career-best 248 all-purpose yards and caught a career-high 12 passes for 100 yards.
Over his three-year Red Raider career, Grant has caught 165 passes for 2021 yards with 17 touchdowns and returned 48 kicks for 1152 yards and two touchdowns. He enters his final season at Tech as the school recordholder for most kick return yards in a game (147 at Oklahoma State) and current all-time leader in career yards per kick return (31.1) and ranks among school leaders in career kickoff return yards (4th, 1,152). He is one of only three Red Raiders in school history to gain over 1,000 yards in kickoff return yardage.
Additional information about the Biletnikoff Award is available by visiting www.biletnikoffaward.com.
Texas Tech opens its 2015 season on Sept. 5 by hosting Sam Houston State at Jones AT&T Stadium. Season tickets are still on sale and can be purchased by calling 806-742-TECH or by visiting www.texastech.com.