Second in a series previewing position groups for the University of Arkansas football team.
FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas cornerback Montaric Brown has gotten a good look at some of the nation's best college receivers the last few years.
He thinks at least one of the Razorbacks' own wideouts can stack up with the best in the land, not only in the college game, but beyond.
Treylon Burks is just a sophomore for the Razorbacks, but the 6-3, 232-pounder showed speed, strong physical traits, great hands and a tackle-breaking affinity last year.
Asked which Arkansas wideout was toughest to cover, Brown said, "I'd say Treylon Burks. He's a big-frame guy.
"I call him Julio Jones, because he has a big frame. He can do anything. He has speed, power, and he can just run by you. Even though he's like 230, he can run by you. He's got all the weapons. He's built like an NFL receiver. He can do anything."
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U93Ih5CvZEY]
Jones, the former Alabama star, is a 6-3, 220 pounder who has 797 catches for 12,125 yards and 57 touchdowns in 10 years with the Atlanta Falcons, already Hall of Fame-like numbers.
Burks, a product of Warren High School, couldn't help but grin when a reporter brought up Brown's comparison.
"Busta, that's my guy," Burks said. "We compete every day, and he calls me 'Julio.' That's my favorite receiver."
Burks said he worked on his speed, slimming down a bit, running more precise routes and understanding defenses better during the offseason.
"Coming out of my breaks on routes, just bettering myself and my craft," Burks said. "For a big guy like me, it's pretty hard at that position. Just getting better at that."
Receivers at a glance
Returning starters Mike Woods (12 starts in 2019), Trey Knox (11), Treylon Burks (9)
Losses Jordan Jones, TQ Jackson
Who's back seniors De’Vion Warren, Tyson Morris; junior Koilan Jackson (1); sophomore Kendall Catalon; freshman Shamar Nash
Who's new senior T.J. Hammonds (was a RB), freshman Darin Turner, transfer Jaqualyn Crawford
Walk-ons Peyton Ausley, Karch Gardiner, John David White, Harper Cole, Kevin Compton
Analysis The Razorbacks must get open on a more consistent basis this season. They've gotten more individual practice time with top QBs Feleipe Franks and KJ Jefferson due to the coronavirus crisis and should be on a better wavelength than some other first-year pairings. The trio of Burks, Knox and Woods should be comparable to the best WR groups in the SEC. Can the other role players behind them rise up and fill in with strong blocking and solid production? That could tell the story about whether this corps makes a substantial improvement in 2020.
Scoring a touchdown this season would be a priority also, after Burks racked up 29 catches for a team-high 475 yards but never found the end zone.
"I mean, it would be nice to get in the end zone but I'm not really worried about that," Burks said. "I'm just worried about making plays and helping the team. If I do score, hooray, but I just want to win with the team."
If there's one position at which the Razorbacks have a built-in squad of returning veteran talent it is at wideout.
Burks, fellow sophomore Trey Knox and junior Mike Woods combined to start 32 of a possible 36 games in 2019.
Woods tied tight end C.J. O'Grady for the team lead with 33 catches, for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Knox chipped in 28 catches for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns.
"I think we're locked in," Woods said. "I text the guys every day, 'We gotta get some work in before and after whatever the team has to do.' We have to put in the extra work so when we go out there on the field on Saturdays it's like second nature."
The receiving corps is the only group whose position coach was a holdover from the previous staff, as Coach Sam Pittman elected to keep on Justin Stepp.
"We're so used to Coach Stepp," Burks said. "He's a great guy and he pushes us every day."
Pittman made a special acknowledgment to the receiving corps after Tuesday's first live tackling of camp. The group was down a substantial handful of players due to a variety of ailments or issues that had not allowed them to reach the full-pad stage of the acclimatization process. Among them were Knox, Tyson Morris, Koilan Jackson, Shamar Nash, Darin Turner, Karch Gardiner and Kevin Compton.
"I thought they fought through the practice," Pittman said.
And this comes from a group that already does the most running on the team.
Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles said he'd find out a lot about the team's growing depth at receiver -- Turner was the only scholarship addition among signees in 2020 because the numbers were high -- during the first week of camp.
"I know they're going to get a lot of reps and it's by design," Briles said. "We want to make sure everybody is getting reps and getting on the field and is able to prove themselves. So those guys are gonna get worn out. They better find a cold tub quick because they're gonna need it.
"But I think our top-level guys, the first five or six guys, can be really explosive. Then we're going to have to keep developing some of the younger guys and get them where they need to be."
The other wideouts who can join the top corps of Woods, Burks and Knox is still to be determined. Jackson, Morris and senior De'Vion Warren have been in reserve roles in recent seasons, combining for 28 catches for 269 yards and 4 touchdowns, and senior T.J. Hammonds has joined the group after serving as a reserve running back in previous years. Additionally, transfer Kendall Catalon, a 5-9, 182-pounder has looked good in camp.
"I think everybody's picking up the playbook pretty good," Woods said when asked about the group behind the big three. "Kendall Catalon is looking really good. De'Vion Warren, Tyson Morris. There's other guys too. But those three right there, they're looking really good to me."
Woods also likes what the 6-3, 208-pound freshman Turner, from Memphis, can offer.
"He's a bigger dude," Woods said. "He's a deep threat. He can go up and get it and he'll go across the middle. He's picking up the playbook real good. His technique is getting better every day."
Briles called the receiving corps "a very good group; a strong group" heading into camp.
"We've got some really good leaders in there," he said. "Trey Knox, Mike Woods and Treylon Burks. Those guys are really strong leaders in that group. I'm excited to watch them."
Woods has gotten off to a sizzling start in the camp with multiple touchdowns in team, 7 on 7 and individual drills, including three in one day last week.
Asked to compare the new offensive attack to the Chad Morris system, Woods said, "We're split out a little wider and going faster, so that's already going to cause problems for defenses, because of the tempo of our offense and our splits, because you've got to show what [defense] you're in. I think the tempo is going to be a big deal."
Briles said the number of wideouts in the rotation on a game-by-game basis will be impacted by how the offensive brain trust feels about their tight ends and other factors.
"If we feel really strong about our receivers and maybe not so much about the tight ends, we may be in 4-receiver sets," Briles said. "That kind of depends on when we get on the field and we're able to determine exactly what we have.
"Typically, you're going to see probably about five guys play a game, and some of those will be in limited roles. Most of the time you're going to have three guys in the majority of the snaps."