2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year Finalists and Winner: FBS, FCS, and D2

Here are my finalists for the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year Award, FBS:

Rashard Higgins, Colorado State
Amari Cooper, Alabama
Corey Davis, Western Michigan

Higgins had a monster season in a year where the Rams challenged for a spot in the New Year's Six bowls. Jim McElwain used the season as a launching pad to bolt for Florida after the season. Higgins, a sophomore, caught 96 passes for 1750 yards and caught 17 TD passes on the season, and has emerged as one of the best prospects in the nation.

Cooper has been a star during his entire stay at Alabama. The junior handed in one of his usual superior performances on the season, catching 124 balls for 1727 yards and 16 TDs in helping to bring QB Blake Sims about as a true passing threat, and helped lead Alabama to an appearance in the first CFB playoff.

Davis is just the latest in a string of top tier WRs from Western Michigan in recent seasons. Davis caught 78 passes this fall, but those receptions totaled 1408 yards and accounted for 15 TDs in the passing game in a season that the Broncos emerged from the dark times to head back to a bowl.

And the winner is...


Amari Cooper, Alabama
Cooper has become the embodiment of what it is to be a top flight college WR. Like his predecessor Julio Jones, Cooper has become a true threat every time the ball is tossed his way, and he makes all the catches. Not only did Cooper do his usual best, but he also helped Blake Sims develop into a star at QB, and helped the Tide get back into the national title picture. Congratulations to Amari Cooper and to the Alabama football program.

FCS

Here are my finalists for the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, FCS:

RJ Harris, New Hampshire
DeAndre Carter, Sacramento State
Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington

Harris, a senior, led UNH and the nation in passing yards in 2014, catching 100 passes for 1551 yards and 15 scores, helping the Wildcats make another run deep into the tournament. He averaged 15.5 yards every time he touched the football, making him one of the most dangerous threats in the nation.

Carter emerged to finish second in the Big Sky, a conference loaded with talent, as he caught 99 passes for 1321 yards, and assisted with the strong development of QB Garrett Safron, another All-Bilo candidate. Carter also caught an FCS leading 17 TDs on the season despite the Hornets missing the tournament.

Kupp has been a rock in the EWU passing game, and the sophomore did yet again in 2014. He led the Big Sky in receiving yeards, and finished second nationally in that stat, catching 104 passes (led FCS) for 1431 yards and 16 scores.

And the winner is...


RJ Harris, New Hampshire
Harris led the nation in receiving yards, and his yards per catch average set him apart in a strong field of candidates. UNH made another deep run in 2014, and the senior capped off a strong season by nearly getting the Cats into the final before falling short. Congratulations to RJ Harris and to the UNH football program.

D2

Here are my finalists for the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, D2:

Keelan Cole, Kentucky Wesleyan
Tyler Slavin, New Mexico Highlands
Nathan Mourik, Southwest Baptist

Cole led the nation with 1516 yards off of just 75 receptions in 11 games as a junior. One of the most dangerous receivers returning to D2 football in 2015, Cole is as explosive a player as you will find just about anywhere, and could probably do what he does at a larger program just fine. Cole also added a whopping 21 TDs to his 2014 resume.

Slavin was a vacuum in the open field in 2014, grabbing a D2 leading 119 receptions on the season for 1418 yards and 17 TDs in 11 games. Slavin opened up the field and grabbed much defensive attention, but that never stopped him in a game plan based on his skill set.

Mourik was a dark horse candidate that gained steam the more I observed his numbers. He caught 65 passes on the season, but he turned those receptions into 1398 yards, good for third on the D2 level. Mourik also caught 13 TDs in 11 games on the year.

And the winner is...


Keelan Cole, Kentucky Wesleyan
What's impressive about Cole, beyond the numbers, is that he was so dangerous, and required so much coverage, that he ended up being one of two receivers from Kentucky Wesleyan that were up for this same award. Cole had a season that can be described as nothing other than monster as a junior. Congratulations to Keelan Cole and to the Kentucky Wesleyan football program.

2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year Semifnialsists: D2

Here are my semifinalists for the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, D2:

Keelan Cole, Kentucky Wesleyan
Mitchell Shegos, Notre Dame (Ohio)
Darius Davis, Henderson State
Jake Hendricks, Livingstone
Tyler Slavin, New Mexico Highlands
Nathan Mourik, Southwest Baptist

Stay tuned tomorrow evening for my announcement regarding the finalists and winner of the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, D2!

2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year Semifinalists: FCS

Here are my semifinalists for the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, FCS:

RJ Harris, New Hampshire
Madison Mangum, Idaho State
DeAndre Carter, Sacramento State
Adam Drake, Eastern Illinois
Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
Jake Wieneke, South Dakota State

Stay tuned tomorrow evening for the announcement of the finalists and the winner of the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, FCS!

2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year Semifinalists: FBS

Here are my semifinalists for the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, FBS:

Rashard Higgins, Colorado State
Nelson Spruce, Colorado
Amari Cooper, Alabama
Corey Davis, Western Michigan
Justin Hardy, East Carolina
Tyler Lockett, Kansas State

Stay tuned tomorrow evening as I announce the finalists and winner of the 2014 All-Bilo FBS WR of the Year!

2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year Quarterfinalists: D2

Here are my quarterfinalists for the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, D2:

Keelan Cole, Kentucky Wesleyan
Darius Davis, Henderson State
Mitchell Shegos, Notre Dame (Ohio)
Xavier Mitchell, Kentucky Wesleyan
Tyler Slavin, New Mexico highlands
Ricky Collins, Texas A&M-Commerce
Paul Revis, Western Oregon
Garry Brown, California (PA)
Nathan Mourik, Southwest Baptist
Vernon Johnson, Texas A&M-Commerce
Donald Byrd, Western New Mexico
Jake Hendricks, Livingstone

Stay tuned later this evening for an announcement regarding semifinalists!

2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year Quarterfinalists: FCS

Here are my quarterfinalists for the All-Bilo WR of the Year, FCS:

RJ Harris, New Hampshire
DeAndre Carter, Sacramento State
Tyler Dube, Sacred Heart
Madison Mangum, Idaho State
Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
Jake Wieneke, South Dakota State
Adam Drake, Eastern Illinois
Darrin Peterson, Liberty
Chris King, Duquesne
Mark Roberts, Lamar
Spencer Kulcsar, Penn

Stay tuned later this evening for the announcement regarding semifinalists!

2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year Quarterfinalists: FBS

Here are my quarterfinalists for the 2014 All-Bilo WR of the Year, FBS:

Rashard Higgins, Colorado State
Amari Cooper, Alabama
Keevan Lucas, Tulsa
Nelson Spruce, Colorado
Corey Davis, Western Michigan
Nelson Agholar, USC
Vince Mayle, Washington State
Kevin White, West Virginia
Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
Justin Hardy, East Carolina

Stay tuned later this evening for the announcement regarding our semifinalists!

2014 All-Bilo RB of the Year Finalists and Winner: D2

My finalists for the 2014 All-Bilo RB of the Year, D2 are:

Terrell Watson, Azusa Pacific
Anthony Bilal, Lake Erie
Cameron McDondle, Colorado State Pueblo

Watson led the nation on the season with 2153 yards rushing and an astounding 29 scores on the season. The senior averaged 195.7 yards rushing per game, which also led the nation.

Bilal rushed for 2091 yards a s a junior, and also scored 29 TDs, tying Watson for the national lead in rushing TDs. His 190.1 yards per game barely finished a shade behind Watson for the lead in that category as well.

McDondle won a national title at CSU Pueblo, and also managed to break the 2000 yard barrier with 2014 on the season. He averaged 134.3 yards per game as a junior, and rushed for 16 TDs on the season. As a junior, he has a shot to come back and make a run at the award again in 2015.

And the winner is...


Terrel Watson, Azusa Pacific and Anthony Bilal, Lake Erie

For the first time, I am naming co-winners of this award to both Watson and Bilal. Their numbers were so similar, and so very razor close, that I could not justifiably pick one over another this season. Both RBs had amazing seasons as individuals, and deserve to both be recognized nationally for their accomplishments in 2014.
Congratulations to Terrel and Anthony, and to the Azusa Pacific and Lake Erie programs.

2014 All-Bilo RB of the Year Finalists and Winner: FCS

My finalists for the 2014 All-Bilo RB of the Year, FCS are...

Marshaun Coprich, Illinois State
Zach Zenner, South Dakota State
Chase Edmonds, Fordham

Coprich helped lead Illinois State to their first ever FCS title game appearance in 2014 after rushing for 2274 yards and 27 TDs on the season. Coprich's yards rushing and TDs both led the nation, while his average of 151.6 yards per game had the junior finishing second nationally in that category.

Zenner is a resident in this category every season, and could be back for one more go in 2015 after the junior rushed for 2019 yards and 22 scores. Zenner averaged 144.2 yards per game, and has become a staple during the awards season.

Edmonds came out of nowhere for Fordham, and rushed for 1838 yards for a Fordham team that ended up finishing a bit short of where they probably should have been in 2014. Edmonds averaged 131.3 yards per game, and added great value with 23 TDs on the year for the Rams.

And the winner is...

Marshaun Coprich, Illinois State
Coprich was a key component in the Redbirds run to the FCS title game in 2014, their first such appearance in program history. Coprich gave the Redbird offense a secondary dimension that was necessary to break open a passing game that often needed a distraction, but had a great deal of success deep when teams tried to key too much on him.
Coprich will return in 2015, and will be a front runner once again for this award.
Congratulations to Marshaun and the entire Illinois State program on an outstanding season.

2014 All-Bilo RB of the Year Finalists and Winner: FBS

Here are my finalists for All-Bilo RB of the Year, FBS for 2014:

Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
Jay Ajayi, Boise State
Tevin Coleman, Indiana

Another tough category, RB of the year was very difficult to decide just narrowing down to the finalist category.

Gordon more than led the nation with a booming 2587 yards and 29 TDs scored on the season. Gordon was nearly unstoppable as a junior this season, and eclipsed the mark that Andre Williams put up as last years award winner.

Ajayi was yet another in a long line of really solid Boise State RBs, and leaves for the NFL after rushing for 1823 yards and a whopping 18 TDs on the season. Ajayi was a surprisingly physical runner at times, and his TDs rushing were second nationally only to Gordon.

Coleman was a huge surprise out of Indiana and gave us a rare season where two RBs finished with over 2000 yards rushing, when he finished with 2036 yards as a junior. Coleman added 15 scores, but Indiana never jumped on his back to turn a corner and go bowling. Despite how bad the team was around him, Coleman was always a certain source of power.

And the winner is...


Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
There was never really any doubt who the winner could possibly be in 2014, as Gordon ran one of the all time great single seasons in the history of the game. Nobody could tackle him, and he ran like the wind all season long. Gordon has ended his career at Wisconsin, and will move on to the NFL, where Mel Kiper projects him going in the first round to the Cardinals.
Congratulations to Melvin and the Wisconsin program.

2014 All-Bilo Quarterback of the Year Finalists and Winner: D2

Here are my finalists for the 2014 D2 All-Bilo QB of the Year:

Justin Dvorak, Colorado Mines
Tyrik Rollison, Texas A&M-Commerce
Kevin Rodgers, Henderson State

Dvorak led the nation with 4287 yards passing in 2014, over 340 yards more than the next nearest passer. The sophomore tossed 36 TDs against 10 picks on the year, and was yet another example of the offensive expertise of head coach Bob Stitt, who left after the season for Montana. Look for Dvorak to be back at it as the front runner for this award in 2015 as a junior.

Rollison, a senior, finished off his career with a solid effort by passing for 3764 yards, good for fourth nationally. He added 31 TDs to just 9 picks on the season to make a strong case as a finalist for this award.

Kevin Rodgers finished 8th in passing nationally, but was one of the few D2 QBs to manage the vaunted 3:1 TD to INT ratio by passing for 3602 yards, 34 TDs, and 11 picks on the season. Rodgers, a senior, will be difficult to replace in 2015.

And the winner is...


Justin Dvorak, Colorado Mines
Dvorak more than led the nation in passing yardage and pass completions (370) in 2014, and becomes a rare sophomore to win the All-Bilo QB of the Year Award, making him eligible for the next two seasons as well. Head Coach Bob Stitt will be gone, but the program will move on, and likely do so successfully with Dvorak in control under center. Congratulations to Justin and to the Colorado Mines program.

2014 All-Bilo QB of the Year Finalists and Winner: FCS

Here are my finalists for the 2014 FCS All-Bilo QB of the year:

Garrett Safron, Sacramento State
Justin Arias, Idaho State
John Roberston, Villanova

This was a highly contested list for finalist this season, as narrowing it to three candidates was nearly impossible. The three candidates I selected in the end had amazing individual efforts that barely shaded past some other very good candidates for this award.

Safron passed for 3490 yards this season, finishing fifth nationally in passing yards. His 34 passing TDs were third nationally, and he had an almost 3.5:1 Td to INT ratio (34/10). Safron, a senior, ends his Sacramento State career on a very high personal note indeed.

Justin Arias was a bright spot on a much improved Idaho State football team, a team that has been a cellar dweller for years. With improved coaching, and the play of Arias overall, the Bengals busted through and challenged for an FCS playoff birth all season long. Arias led the nation with 4076 yards passing, and finished with 38 TDs, first in the nation, and 10 picks.

Robertson led another strong Villanova effort this season, and finished with an amazing 35 TD passes to just 3 INTs. Robertson should be considered a front runner for the Walter Payton award in 2015, as he returns for his senior season after passing for 2848 yards on the year.

And the winner is...


Justin Arias, Idaho State
No single program benefitted more than Idaho State did in 2014 under the trigger of Arias. Long considered a bottom feeder of college football, ISU is now on a major upswing, and it was the arm of Arias that helped it all work out. A national leader in several categories at the position of QB, Arias was a bright shining star of the 2014 season, and has helped set his school on the right path moving forward. Congratulations to Justin and to the Idaho State program.