FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Chad Morris wasn't sure last Wednesday how many snaps he would get out of freshman receiver Trey Knox in the team's season opener against Portland State.
Knox, one of the prizes in the Razorbacks' most recent recruiting class, missed eight consecutive workouts dating back to the beginning of the final week of preseason practices to the middle of Week 1 with an undisclosed illness. But, as it turns out, Knox saw the field plenty in his college debut.
Knox played 60 snaps against the Vikings, second-year offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said Monday. He also noted that the freshman probably wasn't in peak physical condition for Game 1. Knox concurred Tuesday.
"I did not," he said when asked if he thought he would play as much as he did. "But I’m glad I got (the reps). I got my conditioning back right, so I feel good going into Week 2."
The Razorbacks' top receivers in terms of yardage against Portland State were freshman Treylon Burks - 3 catches, team-high 52 yards - and Knox, whose first college target resulted in a drop on a ball from Ben Hicks on 3rd-and-8 in the second quarter. Knox said he didn't think the pass would sneak past a Vikings defender, which led to the miscue.
"I should have been prepared for it," he added. "It’s not going to happen again."
Knox finished Saturday's opener with one catch for 38 yards, linking up with backup quarterback Nick Starkel following a double move in the final minute of the first half. It was Arkansas' longest play from scrimmage.
And on top of finally getting acclimated a bit to the college game, he was simply excited to be back with teammates on the field after his hiatus.
"It hurt (being out) just because I wasn’t able to move around and do a lot of stuff," Knox said. "But I was taking very detailed mental notes of what I needed to do to prepare for the game. I think I did a good job with that."
Following the win Saturday, Morris added, "I thought Trey missed a few things. Trey has been limited over the last week to 10 days. You could tell he was still rusty. We anticipate that improving."
Burks and Knox feel confident in the staff's offensive plan entering Arkansas' conference opener at Ole Miss. Both players said they believe, despite a slow start to begin the season, the Razorbacks have a chance to show great improvement.
"I think we’re going to put a lot of points up in this game," Knox said. "Coach Craddock’s been preaching. He has a great plan and I believe it. After watching the film and just last week’s game, I think we can go in there and really dominate on the offensive side of the ball.
"They have a new (defensive coordinator) and they like to run a lot of zone. They’re very aggressive. They’ve got players who have been playing in this league for a couple of years now. We’ve just got to attack that and use their aggressiveness against them."
The freshman added that that confidence comes from the receivers' chemistry with Hicks, who was named Arkansas' Week 2 starter by Morris on Saturday night. Ole Miss will be Hicks' first test against SEC competition.
"We got to throwing before spring ball even started," Knox said. "I think that helps a lot. He’s leading the team like he should. He knows the offense. He’s been it for three, going on four years now. So that helps us in getting behind him and rallying behind him to be our starting quarterback."
Knox, who graded out at 55.7 against Portland State, according to Pro Football Focus analytics, is eager to see the atmosphere for his first conference road game.
"Not too nervous anymore," he said. "I’m just ready to go in there and play."