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FAYETTEVILLE — On the surface, Grant Morgan said and did everything he was supposed to.
The Razorbacks’ star linebacker was honored to be one of three finalists for the 2020 Burlsworth Trophy, which is presented annually to college football’s top current or former walk-on, and congratulated Pittsburgh center Jimmy Morrissey for winning it with a smile on his face during Monday’s virtual ceremony.
Behind that smile, though, the chip on Morgan’s shoulder continued to grow. Even after he had one of the most decorated seasons by an Arkansas linebacker in the past 50 seasons, the Burlsworth Trophy snub has likely set in motion an even better encore.
The former two-star walk-on comes from a family that is seemingly never short on motivation and, as his older brother - former Arkansas wide receiver Drew - put it on Twitter, “31 just got a little more motivated.”
“It meant the world to be a finalist, but this is definitely fuel to be able to go next year and try to win it because obviously this year wasn’t enough,” Morgan said in an interview afterward. “This starts today.”
Make no mistake: Morrissey was a worthy selection. A four-year starter for the Panthers, he was an All-ACC selection each of his final three seasons, including earning a first-team nod at center the last two. Fellow finalist Dax Milne, a wide receiver out of BYU, was also solid candidate, as he finished the season with the fourth-most receiving yards (1,188) in the country.
However, Morgan had one of the most prolific seasons in UA history against an all-conference slate that featured some of the most explosive offenses in college football. It was a season that no one - other than himself and those closest to him - saw coming in 2020.
That includes head coach Sam Pittman and his coaching staff apparently having doubts, as linebacker was a position they targeted in the transfer portal last offseason. Even before it was revealed former four-star recruit and Oklahoma graduate transfer Levi Draper needed season-ending surgery, Morgan held him off in camp and won the starting job for the first time in his career.
All he did after that was rack up more tackles than almost anyone in the FBS. Morgan’s 111 tackles led the country until he went down with a knee injury at Missouri and missed the Alabama game, and they still finished third nationally. His 12.3 tackles per game were tied for first.
More than a high-volume tackler, though, Morgan emerged as a playmaker - highlighted by his game-clinching pick-six against Ole Miss - and leader of the defense - as evidenced by the unit’s struggles after he got hurt.
He received a steady flow of accolades: one of 16 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, one of three finalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, first-team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus, the conference’s coaches and the Associated Press, and second-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
That was despite looking like the Terminator by the end of the season, as an early elbow injury forced him to wear a large brace on his left arm most of the year and the aforementioned knee injury had him in a knee brace as he prepared for the since-canceled Texas Bowl.
Now healthy enough to shoot a 5-over with a friend at Fort Smith’s Ben Geren Golf Course over the weekend, Morgan said his body just needed rest and the injuries wouldn’t require offseason surgery.
Taking advantage of the NCAA’s eligibility relief granted in response to the coronavirus pandemic and coming back for a sixth season, Morgan was never going to rest of his laurels, but that certainly won’t happen after Monday.
Four years ago, Morgan - then a redshirt freshman - was mad when he found out Kevin Richardson II was the Razorbacks’ 2017 nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy. Even though he knew he didn’t deserve it that year, he felt like he could be that guy eventually.
Coming as close as he did this year, only to have Morrissey win it instead, will just stoke the flames of the fire that got Morgan to this point.
“This offseason is going to be just working hard, doing exactly what I did last offseason, but going harder,” Morgan said. “I’ve got to find a way get more flexible, I’ve got to eat better. It’s just going to be amped up to the max.”
