Southern Miss receiver named to Biletnikoff Award watch list

Southern Miss senior wide receiver D.J. Thompson was named Wednesday to Biletnikoff Award watch list for the upcoming season.

The Biletnikoff Award is given to the best receiver in college football each season.

The Pearl native is the Golden Eagles’ top returning receiver from 2015 with 55 catches for 779 yards and seven touchdowns. Thompson had 22 grabs for 231 yards as a sophomore in 2014 and seven catches in 2012. He missed the 2013 season due to injury.

Thompson boasted a 10-catch, 112-yard outing with two scores in Southern Miss’ 34-13 win over UTEP and had receptions of 28 and 50 yards at Nebraska.

The Golden Eagles begin their season with a 6:30 p.m. contest at Kentucky on Sept. 3.

The 2016 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on December 8, 2016, on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN. College Football Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard will present the 2016 Biletnikoff Award winner on the show.

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Southern Miss receiver named to Biletnikoff Award watch list."