CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Aaron Mellette, the recipient of the 2011 FCS Wide Receiver Award from College Football Performance Awards (CFPA), has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2012 CFPA Wide Receiver Award.

Mellette is one of just two Southern Conference wide receivers on the initial watch list.  The other is Samford's Kelsey Pope.

Mellette was a first-team All-Southern Conference selection by both the Southern Conference's coaches and media members and finished fifth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award in 2011.  The Sanford, N.C., native ended the regular season as the FCS leader in both receptions per game (10.27) and receiving yards per game (149.0).  His 1,639 receiving yards established a new Elon and SoCon record, surpassing the mark of 1,633 yards set by former Phoenix standout Terrell Hudgins in 2009.  Mellette had nine 100-yard receiving games and twice went over 200 yards receiving during his junior campaign.  He began the season with an 11-catch, 180-yard performance at Vanderbilt.  In a win at North Carolina Central, Mellette caught 16 passes for a career-high 237 yards.  In the season finale against Appalachian State, Mellette hauled in 14 balls for 236 yards.  He made a SoCon-best 113 catches and led the league with 12 touchdown receptions.  He was twice honored as the league's offensive player of the month.

In his three seasons in the maroon and gold Mellette has caught 207 passes for 2,856 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Mellette was named to seven All-America teams following his junior year.  He was a first-team choice to teams announced by The Associated Press, The Sports Network/Fathead.com, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, College Sporting News, Phil Steele and College Sports Madness.

The goal of College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.