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Duke Wire
Javen Nicholas named to 2026 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List
- Story byDuke Wire
- Javen Nicholas named to 2026 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List
Much like at quarterback with Darian Mensah departing for Miami, Duke 's wide receiver room took a massive hit this offseason when Cooper Barkate , who led the Blue Devils with 72 receptions for 1,102 yards last season, joined Mensah with the Hurricanes.
Manny Diaz and his staff went out and found a couple of transfers to fill the shoes of Barkate, including Charlotte's Javen Nicholas . The 5-foot-9, 190-pound New Orleans native is expected to be one of the main targets for either Walker Eget or Dan Mahan , and on Wednesday, was named to the 2026 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List.
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For the 49ers last season, Nicholas caught 60 passes for 740 yards and five touchdowns. He spent the previous three seasons at LSU , where he spent most of his time playing on special teams.
Nicholas will likely start alongside Jared Richardson , a transfer from Penn, and Javion Solomon, who didn't see action as a freshman in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Javen Nicholas named to 2026 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List
