Burks named to Steele’s preseason All-American team

Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks has picked up the first preseason All-American honor headed into the season on Phil Steele’s magazine list.

The publication this week released its preseason All-American and All-SEC teams.

Linebacker Grant Morgan and defensive back Jalen Catalon were named to the second team.

Burks led the Razorbacks in catches last season, hauling in 51 passes for 820 yards and seven touchdowns.

He finished third in the SEC in receiving yards per game (91.1) and fifth in total receiving yards, logging six games of 90+ receiving yards and four games of 100+ receiving yards as a true sophomore.

He is the first player from Warren named to a preseason All-American team after getting second-team All-SEC honors after the 2020 campaign, was one of only two FBS receivers to log 800+ receiving yards and 70+ rushing yards on the year.

Morgan was simply one of the best players in all of college football last season. He was named a Walter Camp and AFCA second team All-American at the year’s end, posted a team-best 111 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss, with 2.0 sacks in 2020.

The linebacker finished tied for the nation’s lead in tackles per game (12.3) while intercepting one pass, breaking up five and registering one quarterback hurry.

Originally a walk-on, Morgan joined Martrell Spaight (2014) as the only two Razorback defenders to garner both AP and Coaches All-SEC recognition in the last 10 seasons.

Catalon, meanwhile, was tabbed to the All-SEC First Team (AP) and second team (Coaches) last season after logging 99 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions, four pass break-ups, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles as a redshirt freshman.

The Mansfield, Texas, native was the first Razorback defensive back to earn All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches since Michael Grant (2007).

Burks, Morgan and Catalon were also featured as first-team All-SEC contributors. Linebacker Bumper Pool (second team), offensive lineman Myron Cunningham (third team), long snapper Jordan Silver (third team), running back Trelon Smith (fourth team) and offensive lineman Ricky Stromberg (fourth team) rounded out the Hogs’ list of preseason All-SEC honorees.

Pool, an All-SEC Second Team selection last season, finished second on the team with 101 total tackles, tying for second with 6.5 tackles for loss and five passes broken up.

The Lucas, Texas, native ranked second in the SEC and ninth in FBS in tackles per game (11.2), also recording 0.5 sacks and one quarterback hurry on the year.

Cunningham anchored the Razorback offensive line in 2020, starting all 10 games at left tackle. The 6-6, 330-pounder played all 705 snaps of the 2020 season – the most snaps of any Razorback – and allowed only two sacks all year.

Advertisement

Silver, meanwhile, served as the team’s primary long snapper for the third consecutive season. The Branson, Mo., native played in all 10 games and finished with a 68.5 special-teams grade from Pro Football Focus.

Smith produced a team-best 710 rushing yards with five touchdowns on 134 carries (5.3 avg.) out of the backfield one year ago.

The Houston, Texas, product, who played in all 10 games with four starts, finished with the squad’s third-most catches (22) for 159 yards and one score, tallying the second-most all-purpose yards (869) on the Razorbacks.

Stromberg saw all his action at center last year, playing in nine games with eight starts. The 6-4, 316-pound offensive lineman totaled 628 snaps, the fourth most on the team and third most among his fellow linemen, while allowing only one sack on the year.

Arkansas opens the 2021 season at home against former Southwest Conference rival Rice at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, on SEC Network+/ESPN+.

You can listen online at HitThatLine.com or on ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Northwest Arkansas, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.