Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - Honors continued Tuesday for Arkansas senior middle linebacker Grant Morgan’s performance in the Razorbacks’ 33-21 SEC West victory over Ole Miss at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The fifth-year senior former walk-on from Greenwood on Tuesday was named the Chuck Bednarik Award National Player of the Week after making a career high, game leading 19 tackles, with three for losses including a quarterback sack, breaking up two passes and sealing Arkansas’ victory extending a 26-21 lead to the 33-21 final with his pick-six interception and 23-yard touchdown return with 3:07 left in the game.
On Monday Morgan, the national leader in tackles averaging 13 per game, and leading the SEC with 52 total tackles, was named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Athlon’s National Defensive Player of the Week.
Athlon also named Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom its National Defensive Coordinator of the Week.
Honors also continued Tuesday for Arkansas redshirt freshman cornerback Hudson Clark. A walk-on thrust into a starting role because of injuries to two starting cornerbacks and a returning starter from last season opting out of playing in 2020 because of coronavirus concerns, Clark’s three of Arkansas’ six interceptions against Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral earned him Monday named SEC Freshman of the Week.
On Tuesday Clark and fellow Razorbacks redshirt freshmen Jalen Catalon and Brady Latham were selected to the Football Writers Association of America’s Freshman All-America Watch List.
Starting safety Catalon leads all freshmen in tackles, 45 for an 11.3 average, and leads the SEC in solo tackles, 7.3 per game, and against Ole Miss recovered a fourth and goal fumble and recorded the first of two Arkansas pick-sixes, a 35-yard touchdown return corralling Corrals first of the six interceptions.
Not a first-teamer when preseason practice began, Latham forged to the front to start all four games for the 2-2 Hogs at left offensive guard.
According to Pro Football Focus Latham’s 69.3 grade ranks the highest of Arkansas offensive linemen logging 250 snaps.
This week getting their lone bye week of the season, the 2-2 Razorbacks continue their 10-game entirely SEC campaign visiting Texas A&M on Oct. 31.
Game time is 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network at the Aggies’ Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.