Duke senior wide receiver Conner Vernon was one of 49 players named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List. The award is given out by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation to the nation’s top wide receiver in college football.

Vernon is the nation’s active leader in pass receptions (198) and receiving yards (2,675). He will enter the 2012 season with a 35 game streak of making at least one catch. Last season, he became the first player in ACC history with multiple seasons of 70-plus receptions (73 catches for 956 yards).

Entering his final season at Duke, Vernon has a few records he is looking at breaking. He is just 33 catches away from the ACC all-time record for receptions (232) held by Clemson’s Aaron Kelly. He is 841 yards away from the ACC all-time record for receiving yards (3,517) held by Florida State’s Peter Warrick.

Vernon is one of eight ACC players named to the watch list. The other seven include Jheranie Boyd of North Carolina, Michael Campanaro of Wake Forest, Marcus Davis of Virginia Tech, Willie Haulstead of FSU, Erik Highsmith of UNC, DeAndre Hopkins of Clemson, and Allen Hurns of Miami.

Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State won the Biletnikoff Award the last two seasons.

*Duke’s football season opens on September 1st at home against Florida International.

**The Duke football team has spent time this summer cleaning up the campus. Check out the video on the right side bar for more.