TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Coastal Carolina super senior wide receiver
Sam Pinckney has been named to the 2023 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc. announced on Monday.
The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot back, and running back), who catches a pass is eligible for the award. As such, the Biletnikoff Award recognizes college football's outstanding receiver, not merely college football's outstanding wide receiver.
Named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt first team by the Sun Belt Conference head coaches, Pinckney was also named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list in both 2020 and 2022.
The preseason honor is another one for the veteran receiver whose preseason accolades include:
- 2023 Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
- 2023 HERO Sports' Group of Five All-American Second Team
- 2023 College Football News (CFN) All-Sun Belt Preseason Team
- 2023 Pro Football Focus (PFF) College Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
- 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference First Team
- 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
- 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Preseason List
In his first year at CCU in 2022, Pinckney led the Chants with 71 receptions, 996 receiving yards, and an average of 76.6 yards per game. He also had three receiving touchdowns on the year.
He also had at least one catch in all 13 games on the season and totaled 100-plus receiving yards in wins over Buffalo (Sept. 17), ULM (Oct. 8), Old Dominion (Oct. 15), and Southern Miss (Nov. 12).
Pinckney's 2022 postseason honors included:
- 2022 All-Sun Belt Third Team
- 2022 CFN All-Sun Belt Second Team
- 2022 Phil Steele All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team
The semifinalists, finalists, and award recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 650 prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former receivers.
Receivers are frequently added to the watch list as their season performances dictate. Actual, not potential, performance is the basis for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
Coastal will open the season versus UCLA at the famous Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 2, at 10:30 p.m. ET.
CCU's home opener will be versus Jacksonville State on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. ET.
Fans can purchase season tickets online by visiting www.GoCCUsports.com/tickets or by calling the Chanticleer Athletics Ticket Office at 843-347-TIXX.
Chants on the Preseason Watch Lists
Grayson McCall – Maxwell Award (July 31)
Kennedy Roberts – Outland Trophy (Aug. 1)
CJ Beasley – Wuerffel Trophy (Aug. 3)
Sam Pinckney – Biletnikoff Award (Aug. 7)
For complete coverage of CCU football, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalFootball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @goccusports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
