Joseph Williams Added To Biletnikoff Award Watch List
October 07, 2026 | Football
BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado wide receiver Joseph Williams has been added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Thursday.
The award goes each year to the most outstanding receiver, regardless of position, in college football. Williams joins Buffaloes teammates Kam Perry and Danny Scudero, who were named to the preseason watch list, giving Colorado three receivers on the list.
The third-year receiver from Arlington, Texas, leads Colorado with 32 receptions for 454 yards and five touchdowns through five games. He ranks among the top 20 nationally in all three categories, averaging 6.4 catches and 90.8 yards per game.
Williams has been at his best over the last month. He has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games, totaling 30 receptions for 431 yards and five touchdowns in that span.
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He is the 14th Buffalo with a touchdown catch in four or more consecutive games and the third since 2018, joining Laviska Shenault Jr. (five games in 2018) and LaJohntay Wester (five in 2024). Nelson Spruce holds the program record with seven straight, spanning the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
The four-game run also puts Williams in select company. He is the ninth Colorado player with at least 30 receptions and 400 receiving yards over a four-game stretch, and the first since Travis Hunter in 2024.
Williams' last two games have been the most productive of his career. He set a career high with 11 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown at Baylor on Sept. 26, tying for the ninth-most receptions in a game in program history and matching Michael Westbrook's 1992 school record against the Bears. He followed with 10 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown against Texas Tech on Oct. 3, including an 8-yard scoring grab from Isaac Wilson that capped Colorado's opening drive.
Williams is the fifth Buffalo with 10 or more receptions in back-to-back games, joining Paul Richardson (2013), Spruce (2014), Shenault (twice in 2018) and Hunter (2024). He is also the first player in CU history to catch 10 or more passes and complete a pass in consecutive games. He threw a 49-yard completion to Quanell Farrakhan Jr. at Baylor and completed another pass on the opening drive against Texas Tech.
"Whether he's having a good game or not, we always got to be ready for him, because he might throw the ball to us and we're not expecting it, we drop it — and that just makes his confidence go down more," Williams said after the Weber State game. "So if we just always stay ready and always stay prepared, and we make those plays for him whenever they come, whether it's 40, 50 times a game or it's 10, 15 times, we'll always be ready for it."
That preparation started after practice. Williams credited extra work with quarterback Julian Lewis for the passing game's jump after the opener.
"This week we spent 30 minutes after practice every day, just getting extra routes in, getting extra time in, just stuff like that," Williams said. "So I felt like that played a big part in it."
Williams has posted two 100-yard receiving games this season, 123 against Weber State and 127 at Baylor, and owns six in his career. His five touchdown catches already top his 2025 total of four and match his collegiate single-season high, set as a freshman at Tulsa in 2024, when he was named the American Conference Freshman of the Year.
He has 99 career receptions for 1,531 yards and 14 touchdowns, including 69 catches for 943 yards and nine scores at Colorado.
The Biletnikoff Award semifinalists will be announced in November, with the winner presented at the Home Depot College Football Awards in December.
Colorado returns from its bye week to host Utah on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Folsom Field.
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The award goes each year to the most outstanding receiver, regardless of position, in college football. Williams joins Buffaloes teammates Kam Perry and Danny Scudero, who were named to the preseason watch list, giving Colorado three receivers on the list.
The third-year receiver from Arlington, Texas, leads Colorado with 32 receptions for 454 yards and five touchdowns through five games. He ranks among the top 20 nationally in all three categories, averaging 6.4 catches and 90.8 yards per game.
Williams has been at his best over the last month. He has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games, totaling 30 receptions for 431 yards and five touchdowns in that span.
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| Game | Rec. | Yds. | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 12 vs. Weber State | 4 | 123 | 2 | 63 |
| Sept. 19 at Northwestern | 5 | 88 | 1 | 50 |
| Sept. 26 at Baylor | 11 | 127 | 1 | 27 |
| Oct. 3 vs. Texas Tech | 10 | 93 | 1 | 20 |
| Last four games | 30 | 431 | 5 | 63 |
He is the 14th Buffalo with a touchdown catch in four or more consecutive games and the third since 2018, joining Laviska Shenault Jr. (five games in 2018) and LaJohntay Wester (five in 2024). Nelson Spruce holds the program record with seven straight, spanning the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
The four-game run also puts Williams in select company. He is the ninth Colorado player with at least 30 receptions and 400 receiving yards over a four-game stretch, and the first since Travis Hunter in 2024.
Williams' last two games have been the most productive of his career. He set a career high with 11 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown at Baylor on Sept. 26, tying for the ninth-most receptions in a game in program history and matching Michael Westbrook's 1992 school record against the Bears. He followed with 10 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown against Texas Tech on Oct. 3, including an 8-yard scoring grab from Isaac Wilson that capped Colorado's opening drive.
Williams is the fifth Buffalo with 10 or more receptions in back-to-back games, joining Paul Richardson (2013), Spruce (2014), Shenault (twice in 2018) and Hunter (2024). He is also the first player in CU history to catch 10 or more passes and complete a pass in consecutive games. He threw a 49-yard completion to Quanell Farrakhan Jr. at Baylor and completed another pass on the opening drive against Texas Tech.
"Whether he's having a good game or not, we always got to be ready for him, because he might throw the ball to us and we're not expecting it, we drop it — and that just makes his confidence go down more," Williams said after the Weber State game. "So if we just always stay ready and always stay prepared, and we make those plays for him whenever they come, whether it's 40, 50 times a game or it's 10, 15 times, we'll always be ready for it."
That preparation started after practice. Williams credited extra work with quarterback Julian Lewis for the passing game's jump after the opener.
"This week we spent 30 minutes after practice every day, just getting extra routes in, getting extra time in, just stuff like that," Williams said. "So I felt like that played a big part in it."
Williams has posted two 100-yard receiving games this season, 123 against Weber State and 127 at Baylor, and owns six in his career. His five touchdown catches already top his 2025 total of four and match his collegiate single-season high, set as a freshman at Tulsa in 2024, when he was named the American Conference Freshman of the Year.
He has 99 career receptions for 1,531 yards and 14 touchdowns, including 69 catches for 943 yards and nine scores at Colorado.
The Biletnikoff Award semifinalists will be announced in November, with the winner presented at the Home Depot College Football Awards in December.
Colorado returns from its bye week to host Utah on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Folsom Field.
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