Pittsburgh — Two Pitt receivers, including senior Mike Shanahan and junior Devin Street, have been named to the Watch List for the Biletnikoff Award, which annually recognizes the outstanding wide receiver in college football.
Shanahan (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) had 39 receptions for 493 yards and four touchdowns while starting all 13 games for the Panthers last season. He was named to the Big East All-Academic Team for the third consecutive season.
Street (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) led the Panthers in both receptions (53) and yards (754) and had two touchdowns. Known for his big-play ability, he tallied three 100-yard receiving games , including a career-high 138 yards on seven catches at Iowa.
The Panthers claim two past winners of the prestigious award including Antonio Bryant in 2000 and Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.
The 2012 season marks the first for Paul Chryst as head coach at Pitt. Chryst comes to Pittsburgh following an accomplished eight-year tenure at the University of Wisconsin, where he was a two-time finalist for the Broyles Award, annually presented to college football's top assistant coach.
Widely recognized as one of the game's finest strategists, Chryst directed a Wisconsin offense last year that averaged a school-record 44.1 points per game en route to the Badgers' second consecutive Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth.