College Football: Top 5 favorites to win 2017 Biletnikoff Award

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DALLAS, TX – SEPTEMBER 23: Courtland Sutton #16 of the Southern Methodist Mustangs pulls in a pass against Tony James #28 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the first quarter at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on September 23, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Much like Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis, SMU Mustangs wide receiver Courtland Sutton enters as a non-power five player to win the Biletnikoff Award.

Sutton caught 76 passes for 1,246 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016. He averaged 103.8 receiving yards per game a season ago. He had five games with over 100 receiving yards, opening the season with four catches for 162 receiving yards and three touchdowns against the North Texas Mean Green.

Against Big 12 foes, Sutton caught 11 passes for 225 receiving yards and a touchdown despite the team losing both games. His quarterback, Ben Hicks, was a redshirt freshman last season who threw 15 interceptions. That number should drop now that Hicks has more experience entering this season.

Sutton set the sophomore record for receiving yards in a season and the single-game school record for receiving yards with 252 against the South Florida Bulls. He also caught a career-high 13 receptions along with two touchdowns.

The redshirt junior has 24 straight starts under his belt entering this season. He’s done nothing but elevate his level of play since emerging as a top receiver in 2015. He set the freshman school record for receiving yards for the Mustangs with 862 receiving yards in 2015. Sutton also led the American Conference in receiving touchdowns that season with nine.

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