Burks named to watch list for ‘Hornung Award’ for most versatile player

FAYETTEVILLE — Sophomore Treylon Burks has been named as one of the 50 multi-talented student-athletes on the Paul Hornung Award watch list, according to an announcement Thursday.

Burks earned SEC All-Freshman status as a wide receiver and second-team honors as a returner. He started nine of the 11 games he played in and led the Razorbacks with 475 receiving yards, catching 29 passes for a team-best 16.4 yards per reception.

The Warren native also added punt and kick return duties to his list of responsibilities, returning 10 punts for 130 yards and 10 kicks for 226 yards for a team-best average of 22.6 yards. He ended his first season on the Hill second on the team with 866 all-purpose yards, trailing only Rakeem Boyd’s 1,293 yards.

Burks is just one of nine sophomores on the preseason list and one of eight players from the Southeastern Conference, which leads all conferences on the list.

In the first 10 years of the award an amazing six winners have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft not including last year’s winner Lynn Bowden Jr. from Kentucky, who was a third round selection by the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Paul Hornung Award, now in its 11th season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.

The winner and his family will be honored at the annual Paul Hornung Award dinner at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville on March 2021.

Burks joins teammates Rakeem Boyd and A.J. Reed on award preseason watch lists, Boyd was named to the Doak Walker Award list and Reed was named as one of 30 kickers to the Lou Groza Award list on Wednesday.

Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.