Already a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff and Maxwell Awards, Oklahoma wide receiver
Dede Westbrook was named one of four finalists for the Paul Hornung Award on Thursday. The Hornung Award is given annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in major college football.
Westbrook, a senior from Cameron, Texas, who is having one of the best receiving seasons in Big 12 history, leads all Power Five players (and ranks second nationally) since Oct. 1 with his 207.7 all-purpose yards per game.
On the season, Westbrook leads all Power Five players in receiving yards per contest (125.4), while ranking second in receiving touchdowns (14) and seventh in receptions per outing (6.8). He started returning punts Oct. 15 against Kansas State and began returning kickoffs Oct. 22 at Texas Tech. Westbrook is averaging 19.8 yards per punt return (registered a 71-yard return for a touchdown against Kansas) and 28.4 yards on his eight kickoff returns.
Westbrook, who battled a hamstring injury during OU's first three games when he averaged 51.3 receiving yards per contest and did not score a touchdown, has exploded in seven games since. During that span, Westbrook has amassed 51 catches for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 1,100 yards are the most ever by a Sooner in a seven-game stretch (next highest total is 985 by Ryan Broyles in 2011), as are the 14 receiving TDs. He needs one more receiving TD to tie the OU single-season record.
Not only does Westbrook have the most receiving yards in the country since Oct. 1, no player is within 185 yards of him.
His 14 receiving scores have come, in order, from 67, 40, 71, 42, 47, 26, 8, 88, 49, 23, 41, 65, 29 and 40 yards, for an average of 45.4 yards. The 14 TD catches over the last seven games are more than 44 teams (21 Power Five squads) have on the season. Only 10 teams have more receptions of at least 60 yards this year than Westbrook's four.