Biletnikoff Award Watch List 2015: Full List Released

College football is brimming with quality wide receivers entering the 2015 season, and many of them were acknowledged Wednesday as the preseason watch list was released for the Biletnikoff Award.

Here is a full rundown of the 48 initial candidates, courtesy of LSUSports.net:

Player	School	Class
Victor Bolden	Oregon State	Jr.
Devonte Boyd	UNLV	So.
Daniel Braverman	Western Michigan	Jr.
Ryan Burbrink	Bowling Green	Sr.
KD Cannon	Baylor	So.
Leonte Carroo	Rutgers	Sr.
Rashon Ceaser	Louisiana Monroe	Sr.
Corey Coleman	Baylor	Jr.
Pharoh Cooper	South Carolina	Sr.
River Cracraft	Washington State	Jr.
Jared Dangerfield	Western Kentucky	Sr.
Corey Davis	Western Michigan	Jr.
Josh Doctson	TCU	Sr.
Travin Dural	LSU	Jr.
Alex Erickson	Wisconsin	Sr.
William Fuller	Notre Dame	Jr.
Jakeem Grant	Texas Tech	Sr.
DaeSean Hamilton	Penn State	So.
Donovan Harden	Georgia State	Sr.
Carlos Harris	North Texas	Jr.
Rashard Higgins	Colorado State	Jr.
Ajalen Holley	Louisiana Monroe	Jr.
Cayleb Jones	Arizona	Jr.
Corey Jones	Toledo	Jr.
Isaiah Jones	East Carolina	Jr.
Marcus Kemp	Hawaii	So.
Roger Lewis	Bowling Green	So.
Keevan Lucas	Tulsa	Jr.
Byron Marshall	Oregon	Sr.
Mitch Mathews	BYU	Sr.
Teldrick Morgan	New Mexico State	Jr.
Jordan Payton	UCLA	Sr.
Josh Reynolds	Texas A&M	Jr.
Jalen Robinette	Air Force	So.
Demarcus Robinson	Florida	Jr.
Alonzo Russell	Toledo	Sr.
Artavis Scott	Clemson	So.
Hunter Sharp	Utah State	Sr.
Tajae Sharpe	Massachusetts	Sr.
Sterling Shepard	Oklahoma	Sr.
Thomas Sperbeck	Boise State	Jr.
Nelson Spruce	Colorado	Sr.
Taywan Taylor	Western Kentucky	Jr.
Trent Taylor	Louisiana Tech	Jr.
Michael Thomas	Ohio State	Jr.
Shaq Washington	Cincinnati	Sr.
Mike Williams	Clemson	Jr.
Ron Willoughby	Buffalo	Jr.

The Biletnikoff Award is named after Hall of Fame Oakland Raiders wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff. That honor represents an incredibly high standard of play, but several wideouts have a chance to ascend to that level in 2015.

One can only assume that the early favorite is Colorado State's Rashard Higgins. The junior pass-catcher led the nation with 1,750 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns last season. He was beaten out by Alabama's Amari Cooper for the award, but he is the only returning finalist.

It won't be easy for Higgins to repeat that production since quarterback Garrett Grayson has moved on to the NFL, but Grayson believes he has the tools needed to continue improving, according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post:

"

You can always perfect your craft when it comes to route running and things like that. I've read articles about Jerry Rice. He said he never really slept when it came to route running. He was always trying to perfect his route running. With Rashard's hands, I don't think he needs to worry about that, but you can always get better as a route runner as a receiver.

"

Higgins may be the early front-runner, but he is far from the only possible winner. Notre Dame junior William Fuller is certainly worth keeping an eye on following his spectacular 2014 campaign.

In addition to catching 76 passes for 1,094 yards, he also tied a Fighting Irish record with 15 touchdown grabs, per ESPN Stats & Info:

"

William Fuller tied the Notre Dame school record with 15th TD of season. Who did he tie? Golden Tate, Rhema McKnight & Jeff Samardzija

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 31, 2014"

Notre Dame's quarterback situation should be more stable this season, with Malik Zaire as the unquestioned starter, and that could allow Fuller to ascend to Biletnikoff status.

A number of wideouts from smaller schools are coming off great seasons as well, including Western Michigan's Corey Davis, UMass' Tajae Sharpe and Tulsa's Keevan Lewis. They all have a chance to take the Biletnikoff Award, but they're at a disadvantage due to the conferences they play in, so they'll have to put up massive numbers.

Among those who have the potential for a true breakout season, Oregon senior Byron Marshall undoubtedly stands out. Last season was his first as a wide receiver after previously playing running back, and he didn't miss a beat, as he reeled in 74 passes for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns.

Watch lists are far from an exact science, so there are often complaints regarding who gets left off. Ryan Black of 247Sports was particularly shocked that Auburn's Duke Williams got snubbed:

The senior had a somewhat modest 2014 campaign with 45 catches for 730 yards and five touchdowns, but he is poised for a big year with Jeremy Johnson under center.

Williams will likely be joined by several other emerging stars over the course of 2015, and that is what will make the Biletnikoff race so exciting and competitive.

There are certainly a few pass-catchers who stand out above the crowd currently, but the landscape can change very quickly once the season officially begins.  

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.