Photo by: Aaron M. Sprecher
Dillard Named to 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot
6/5/2023 10:47:00 AM | Football
Set five NCAA records in his career
Jarett Dillard, the record-setting receiver who led Rice to a pair of bowl appearances after a 45-year absence, is one of 101 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision on the 2024 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame announced on Monday by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame.
The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current members of the Hall of Fame whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. The 2024 induction class will be announced in early 2024, formally inducted during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10, 2024, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2024 season.
Although lightly recruited out of high school and signing with a school known for its triple-option ground attack, Dillard thrived in the switch to a spread attack in his sophomore season and went on to set NCAA career records for most touchdown receptions (60) and games with a touchdown catch (38). During a breakout sophomore season, he set NCAA single-season records for both games and consecutive games with a touchdown reception (13), despite playing with three different quarterbacks. He was named a Biletnikoff Award finalist while leading the Owls to their first bowl berth in 45 years.
He caught 21 touchdown passes as a sophomore and then added 20 as a senior, becoming the only player in NCAA history to twice catch at least 20 touchdowns in a season. He wrapped his career while leading the Owls to a 10-4 season capped by a win in the Texas Bowl--their first bowl win since 1954—and with virtually every school receiving record in his possession.
He has held the NCAA career record for touchdown receptions for 15 years (2008 to present) the longest streak since Elmo Wright set the record with 34 in 1970 until it was broken in 1989.
Dillard was the first Owl named to the Football Writers All-America team in 50 years in 2008. He was the first player from Rice to earn first-team All-Conference USA three times and set conference career marks for touchdown receptions and receiving yards (4,138). He was the 10th receiver in NCAA history to pass 4,000 yards receiving and the 13th player with four 1,000-yard seasons.
By the time he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Dillard had caught at least two passes in each game of his career (49 games), the longest streak in NCAA history for players with multiple catches in every game of the streak. His 51 touchdown receptions from quarterback Chase Clement set the NCAA record for most touchdowns by a passing duo and the tandem added a 52nd in the Texas Bowl as Dillard threw a scoring pass to Clement.
After three seasons in the NFL, Dillard retired and entered law school. He is currently an associate in the Energy & Natural Resources Group with Reed Smith LLP in Houston focusing on construction litigation, contract disputes, and alternative dispute resolution.
He was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015 and was an inaugural member of the Conference USA Hall of Fame and the Texas Bowl Gridiron Legend in 2019.
Seven Rice players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including running back Trevor Cobb in 2018.
The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current members of the Hall of Fame whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF's Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. The 2024 induction class will be announced in early 2024, formally inducted during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10, 2024, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2024 season.
Although lightly recruited out of high school and signing with a school known for its triple-option ground attack, Dillard thrived in the switch to a spread attack in his sophomore season and went on to set NCAA career records for most touchdown receptions (60) and games with a touchdown catch (38). During a breakout sophomore season, he set NCAA single-season records for both games and consecutive games with a touchdown reception (13), despite playing with three different quarterbacks. He was named a Biletnikoff Award finalist while leading the Owls to their first bowl berth in 45 years.
He caught 21 touchdown passes as a sophomore and then added 20 as a senior, becoming the only player in NCAA history to twice catch at least 20 touchdowns in a season. He wrapped his career while leading the Owls to a 10-4 season capped by a win in the Texas Bowl--their first bowl win since 1954—and with virtually every school receiving record in his possession.
He has held the NCAA career record for touchdown receptions for 15 years (2008 to present) the longest streak since Elmo Wright set the record with 34 in 1970 until it was broken in 1989.
Dillard was the first Owl named to the Football Writers All-America team in 50 years in 2008. He was the first player from Rice to earn first-team All-Conference USA three times and set conference career marks for touchdown receptions and receiving yards (4,138). He was the 10th receiver in NCAA history to pass 4,000 yards receiving and the 13th player with four 1,000-yard seasons.
By the time he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Dillard had caught at least two passes in each game of his career (49 games), the longest streak in NCAA history for players with multiple catches in every game of the streak. His 51 touchdown receptions from quarterback Chase Clement set the NCAA record for most touchdowns by a passing duo and the tandem added a 52nd in the Texas Bowl as Dillard threw a scoring pass to Clement.
After three seasons in the NFL, Dillard retired and entered law school. He is currently an associate in the Energy & Natural Resources Group with Reed Smith LLP in Houston focusing on construction litigation, contract disputes, and alternative dispute resolution.
He was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015 and was an inaugural member of the Conference USA Hall of Fame and the Texas Bowl Gridiron Legend in 2019.
Seven Rice players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including running back Trevor Cobb in 2018.
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