AUSTIN, Texas — The Biletnikoff Award semi-finalist list came out and there was a notable name missing from the list: Devin Duvernay.
Duvernay is second in the nation in catches, eighth in receiving yards, and according to Texas head coach Tom Herman, leads the nation in both broken tackles and catches to convert on third downs.
When Tom Herman heard on a conference call that Duvernay was not named to the list of 12 semi-finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation's top wide receiver, one word came to mind.
"Shocking," Herman said in a Nov. 18 press conference. "I don't know how you leave off a guy that is leading the Power Five in catches. Leading the country in broken tackles. Leading the country in third down receptions. And you're telling me he's not in one of the 20 best wideouts in the country ... that's a shame. I don't know what the criteria is then. I'll have to call the committee that controls the Biletnikoff and say 'what does a guy need to do?' At least as a semi-finalist. I don't know how that could happen."
To date, Duvernay has racked up 87 catches for 1017 yards and seven touchdowns.
Duvernay has more catches than all semi-finalists except SMU's James Broche. He has more yards than half of the semi-finalists and has more touchdowns than one of the semi-finalists, Minnesota's Rashad Bateman.
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Bateman did not out-gain Duvernay in any of those three categories. Bateman is second in catches (44) and touchdowns (7) on his own team (teammate Tyler Johnson has 59 catches and nine touchdowns), let alone among the other Biletnikoff candidates.
Duvernay gave his opinion on the snub on Tuesday.
“It would’ve been cool to be on it, but I can’t control that," Duvernay said. "I feel like I’ve improved every year and have tried to put my team in the best situation to win.”
No Longhorn has ever won the Biletnikoff Award. Jordan Shipley was a finalist in 2009, according to Texas Athletics. After the release of the list in 2019, there will still not be a Longhorn to secure the crown of the nation's top receiver.