Nate Allen

FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas senior linebacker Grant Morgan and junior safety Jalen Catalon and junior receiver Treylon Burks were named to prestigious college football awards preseason watch lists Monday.

Morgan and Catalon were name to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List that in December honors college football’s most outstanding defensive player.

Burks was named to the watch list of the Maxwell Award, one of several awards announced in December honoring college football’s most outstanding player.

Burks of Warren, 51 catches for 820 yards and seven touchdowns as Arkansas’ leading receiver last season, is one of 80 on the Maxwell Watch List.

Morgan of Greenwood and Catalon of Mansfield, Texas, are among the 90-man Bednarik Watch List.

Last season Morgan earned second-team All-America and first-team All-SEC honors after leading the Razorbacks with 111 tackles and nationally tying for first at 12.3 in average of tackles per game and also intercepted a pass he returned for a touchdown.

Catalon, first-team All-SEC, logged 99 tackles, intercepted three passes, broke up four passes, recovered one fumble and forced two others.’

In women’s college basketball news, Jersey Wolfenbarger, the Razorbacks’ 6-5 incoming freshman guard/forward from Fort Smith Northside, was named among a dozen players to represent the U.S. at the FIBA U19 (ages 19 and under) World Cub in Debrecen Hungary.

““Let’s put this into perspective,” Arkansas Women’s Coach Mike Neighbors said. “Over half of NCAA freshmen were eligible for selection. 90 percent of incoming freshman from all 50 states were eligible for selection. And after a comprehensive tryout process, Jersey earned one of only 12 spots on the team that will represent the United States in the U19 World Cup. Let that sink in. We are all so proud of Jersey. It’s going to be fun following her and the team as they go for gold.”