Ateman Becomes Third Cowboy Receiver On Biletnikoff Watch List

Oklahoma State wide receiver Marcell Ateman has been added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Wednesday.
 
Ateman is joined by fellow Cowboys James Washington and Jalen McCleskey among the group of college football's top receivers. OSU is the only team in the country with at least three players still currently being considered for the Biletnikoff Award.
 
The Dallas, Texas, native has been in impressive form so far this season, as he has racked up 655 receiving yards on 33 catches. Ateman has also scored four touchdowns, including a 69-yard touchdown on September 16 that gave Oklahoma State a 21-0 lead over Pittsburgh. The Cowboys would go on to defeat the Panthers at Heinz Field, 59-21.
 
Ateman's 19.85 yards per reception this season ranks 17th in the NCAA and is fifth among Big 12 wideouts. Meanwhile, his 655 receiving yards and 93.6 receiving yards per game both rank in the top 20 nationally and sixth among wide receivers in the conference.
 
Starting with his week three outburst against Pittsburgh, where he caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, Ateman put together a stretch of four-straight games with at least 100 yards receiving. His streak was snapped this past weekend against Texas, although he still tallied an impressive four-catch, 87-yard day out wide.
 
After missing the 2016 season due to injury, Ateman has come on strong during his final campaign as a Cowboy. His 655 yards are second only to James Washington's 914 among OSU wide receivers and are just 111 yards shy of tying his single-season career high that he set in 2015.
 
The Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on December 7, 2017, on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show, which will be broadcast on ESPN.