FAYETTEVILLE — Treylon Burks of the University of Arkansas was named on Thursday as one of 50 players on the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, which is entering its 11th season of honoring the most versatile player in major college football.
Burks produced one of the best success stories during an otherwise disappointing season for Arkansas football in 2019.
The true freshman from Warren emerged as a big-play threat as a receiver and in the return game and ranked second behind Rakeem Boyd with 866 all-purpose yards for the Razorbacks. Burks was named to the SEC All-Freshman team as a wide receiver and made the second team as a return specialist.
Burks led the Razorbacks with 475 receiving yards on 29 receptions and also had a team-high 16.4 yards per catch. He opened the year as the top punt returner and had 12 returns for 130 yards. After an injury to De’Vion Warren, Burks also took over as the top kickoff returner and had 10 returns, all in the final four games, for 226 yards.
Perhaps symbolic of the Razorbacks’ frustrating lack of offensive imagination last year, Burks did not score a touchdown.
The 6-3, 231-pounder is one of only nine sophomores on the Hornung Award watch list. Burks is one of eight SEC players on the list, joined by Tyler Badie of Missouri, Jerrion Ealy of Ole Miss, Velus Jones Jr. of Tennessee, Ainias Smith of Texas A&M, Derek Stingley Jr. of LSU, Kadarius Toney of Florida and Jaylen Waddle of Alabama.
The award, presented by the Louisville Sports Commission, is named for former Notre Dame great and NFL Hall of Famer Paul Hornung, a Louisville native. Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden Jr. won the award last season.
This year’s winner and his family will be honored at the Paul Hornung Award dinner in Louisville in March 2021.