Photo Credit: NFL
Smash That “Follow” Button
If you had to select one player to be the face of the Sam Pittman era at Arkansas, it would have to be wide receiver Treylon Burks.
Sure, quarterback KJ Jefferson, tailback Rocket Sanders and linebackers Grant Morgan and Drew Sanders were all standouts for the Razorbacks over the last six years. But none possessed Burks’ truly elite game-breaking ability.
That’s what made his rough sledding in the NFL thus far that much more surprising. Injuries plagued his three years and change with the Tennessee Titans, leading the franchise to cast him aside on waivers in July. Just 10 days later, the former first round pick has found a new home in the nation’s capital, as the Washington Commanders added him to the practice squad on Thursday.
A heralded four-star recruit out of the Warren High wideout factory, head coach Chad Morris was the one who brought Burks to campus. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder was one of the only bright spots in a 2-10 season in 2019, leading the team in receiving with 475 yards from 29 catches. In Pittman’s inaugural season, that production ticked up to 51 receptions for 820 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Everything came together in the 2021 campaign, when Burks led the way for Arkansas’ nine-win season, catching 66 passes from Jefferson for 1,104 yards and 11 scores. He was named All-SEC in all three of his seasons in Fayetteville. Arkansas often operates at a talent deficit compared to its Southeastern Conference peers, but Burks gave the Razorbacks a great equalizer who could run and jump with anyone in the country.
Tennessee Tumult
The Warren native was drafted 18th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, one of just eight Hogs to be selected in the first round in the 21st century (and the most recent). Expectations were high when he suited up for the Titans, but it simply didn’t work out.
Burks had a promising rookie season, catching 33 passes for 444 yards and a touchdown. His first (and still only) career touchdown ended up being an accurate summary of his time in Nashville.
In his sophomore year, however, that production decreased to 16 receptions and 221 yards. Tennessee’s poor quarterback play and weak wide receiving corps certainly played a role in his struggles – the Titans got Burks with a pick they acquired from the highly unpopular AJ Brown trade.
“That wasn’t fair to Burks from the get-go,” NBC’s Chris Simms said in July. “You’re expecting him to be AJ Brown out of the gates and it just didn’t work … It stinks. I feel for the kid. He had a ton of pressure on him, and that’s the Titans’ fault for that.”
Injuries also hampered the former Razorback’s development. He tore his ACL last October and fractured his collarbone in July. The Titans waived him shortly after that injury, and he became a free agent as soon as he returned from the injured reserve list 10 days ago. As a result, Burks never got the chance to catch passes from promising rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who was selected No. 1 overall out of Miami this year.
Ward, like Burks, has struggled with big expectations so far with the Titans. Through six games, he’s completed just 55% of his passes and thrown more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3). In his own words: “If we’re keeping it a buck right now, we ass.”
Head coach Brian Callahan was fired this week after a 1-5 start. Midway through his second season, he was a paltry 4-19 in Nashville. The Titans’ recent misery sounds real familiar for Arkansas fans, who recall players like Isaiah Sategna and Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr. finding greener pastures elsewhere recently.
“He’s leaving the Titans and going somewhere new, and that’s probably a good sign he’ll turn into an All-Pro at this point,” Locked on Titans’ Tyler Rowland said this week.
Fortunately for Burks, that new destination figures to be a much better setup to unlock his potential.
New Commander in Town
The Washington Commanders are off to a 3-3 start this season, but went 12-5 last year and reached the NFC Championship Game. That’s mostly thanks to the meteoric rise of 24-year-old quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was a Pro Bowler last year and took home Rookie of the Year honors. The former Arizona State and LSU standout won the Heisman Trophy in 2023, and has found a new gear in D.C. under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
The Commanders have been dealing with a bit of an injury crisis this fall, with wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel both missing time. Noah Brown, a record-breaking former standout at Ohio State, is another banged-up wideout in the mix. If you put two and two together, it’s very possible that Burks could not only replace Brown, but cost him a place on the team.. Washington is “hoping a player talented enough to be picked in the first round three years ago can eventually help a banged-up group,” wrote ESPN’s John Keim.
Razorback fans will have to hope that Kingsbury and Daniels can help to unlock Arkansas’ most highly-touted prospect since Darren McFadden. Maybe a change of scenery is just what Burks needs.
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