University of South Florida senior wide receiver Sean Atkins (Viera) has been named a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy for the second straight season.
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The Bulls’ all-time career receptions leader, Atkins was named among 10 semifinalists for the national award presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding football player who began their career as a walk-on. The selection committee will announce the top three finalists on November 19. The Burlsworth Trophy Award Show will be held on Dec. 9 in Bentonville, Ark.
Atkins enters USF’s game Saturday at Charlotte (3:30 on ESPN+) as the program’s all-time leader with 170 receptions and third all-time in career receiving yards with 1,871, needing 266 to pass the USF record of 2,136 set by Andre Davis (2011-14). Atkins is riding a string of 27 straight games with a reception, just four shy of Davis’ USF record of 31, and has made four or more catches in 21 of his last 22 games, the most for any FBS player over that span.
Coming off a USF record-setting season in 2023 in which he posted 92 receptions for 1,054 yards (both program records) and seven touchdowns to earn second-team All-AAC honors, Atkins again leads the Bulls with 49 catches for 485 yards and a touchdown this season. He is also USF’s primary punt returner and his 11.2 average ranks 15th nationally and third in the AAC.
Atkins walked on at USF in 2019 and earned a scholarship in 2021. He has started 25 career games, the most among current Bulls, and play in 50 games, which is five shy of the program record of 55. He has posted four career 100-yard receiving games, is the first 1,000-yard receiver in a season in program history, and has thrown two touchdown passes and two, two-point conversions.
The other 2024 Burlsworth Trophy semifinalists are Josh Cameron (WR, Baylor), Shaun Dolac (LB, Buffalo), James Carpenter (DL, Indiana), Kaden Wetjen (WR, Iowa), Bryce Boettcher (LB, Oregon), Will Brooks (S, Tennessee), Michael Taaffe (DB, Texas), Carson Schwesinger (LB, UCLA) and Jackson Woodard (LB, UNLV).
The 2023 winner was running back Cody Schrader from the University of Missouri. After dominating at Truman (Mo.) State, Schrader transferred to Missouri where he rushed for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning him First-Team All-America by the Associated Press.
About the Burlsworth Trophy
The trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth. Without one D1 scholarship offer, Brandon walked on to the Arkansas Razorback team in 1994, worked his way to being a three-year starter, and was eventually named an All-American in 1998. Burlsworth was selected as the 63rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft but was tragically killed in a car accident 11 days later. The Burlsworth Foundation was created in his memory and supports the physical and spiritual needs of children, particularly those children who have limited opportunities.
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ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 27th season in 2023 with a program-best six-game turnaround and Boca Raton Bowl victory under first-year head coach Alex Golesh. USF completed construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 16 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 32 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 11 bowl game appearances (going 7-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.
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