When the Razorbacks' new 2020 schedule was revealed with Georgia and Florida added to make the 10-game all-SEC slate, ESPN FPI gave the Hogs just a 23.5% chance to go 3-7. Four months later, Arkansas has hit that mark with wins over Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

The 2020 football season was unique and there will never be another one like it. It took every player on the team to get through all 10 games but when all is said and done, there were a few Razorbacks who stood out above the rest to help the team to three SEC wins.

The HawgBeat staff chose three offensive players, three defensive players and one special teams player as this year's most valuable players...

TREYLON BURKS

The Alabama game greatly impacted Treylon Burks' average receiving yards per game but he still sits in the top 35 in the country in the category, as well as total receptions and receiving touchdowns. Burks was one of the fastest Razorback receivers to reach 1,000 career yards.

At 88.9, Burks is the 7th ranked receiver in the nation and in NFL rating, Burks sits at the top of the board, even ahead of DeVonta Smith. Thirty-three of Burks 50 receptions were for first downs and he had just 4 drops in 65 targets.

FELEIPE FRANKS

It wouldn't have taken much from Feleipe Franks to be an improvement on the quarterback play Arkansas fans have seen over the past two seasons but the transfer exceeded expectations. Even with a poor showing against the Crimson Tide, Franks has completed 68.5 percent of his passes this season and is on track to shatter Kevin Scanlon’s school-record 66.2 percent set in 1979.

After a more inconsistent tenure at Florida, Franks threw just four picks this season, fewer than any quarterback in the last decade at Arkansas and fewer than his replacement Kyle Trask this season.

A not so nice stat, only three FBS quarterbacks took more sacks than Franks this season who was taken down 32 times. In NFL rating, Franks finishes 10 games ranked 12th in the nation.

MIKE WOODS

Mike Woods led Arkansas in 2019 with four receiving touchdowns but this season felt more like a breakout year for the junior. In one fewer reception than in 2019, Woods tallied almost 200 more receiving yards with 619 and he added five touchdowns. On top of added yardage, Woods went from seven dropped passes in 2019 to just two in 2020.

With the disappearance of Trey Knox and De'Vion Warren's midseason injury, Woods' consistency became even more critical to the Razorbacks' success and his 24 first down receptions ranked second behind Burks. A popular target downfield, Woods ranks 27th with 18.5 yards per receptions.

Honorable Mention: Trelon Smith, De'Vion Warren

JALEN CATALON

Named one of a dozen semi finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, Jalen Catalon is naturally an MVP in his first season as a starter. Always around the ball, Catalon tallied 99 tackles in 2020 after just 6 tackles playing minimal snaps in 2019. Of those 99, 51 were solo tackles, which led the team through the regular season. He made several game-changing plays including two forced fumbles and three interceptions, taking one to the house. The Texas native almost had a fourth pick in the final game of the year versus the Tide but it was called back due to a targeting penalty.

Catalon missed time due to two targeting penalties and his presence was clearly missed. Razorback head coach Sam Pittman said Catalon is like a senior in his knowledge of the game and his leadership, high praise for the redshirt freshman.

Among safeties playing more than 400 snaps, Catalon ranks 13th in overall defensive grade this season and is one of 22 safeties with three or more interceptions.

GRANT MORGAN

No Razorback has tallied more tackles per game in the last decade than senior linebacker Grant Morgan. The former walk-on finished the 2020 season with 111 tackles, 40 solo tackles. Morgan also returned an interception for a touchdown.

Morgan, who earned his scholarship after being a consistent special teams contributor and nice depth piece on defense, consistently started for the first time this year and made the semifinalist list for the Butkus Award.

Morgan was voted a captain by his teammates and he's displayed what it means to be a Razorback since he arrived in Fayetteville.

JONATHAN MARSHALL

Senior defensive tackle Jonathan Marshall was an absolute rock for Sam Pittman and his first-year defensive line. Marshall is No.2 in the country in snaps played at defensive tackle with 633 in 10 games. The Texas native is tied for 13th in overall defensive grade among defensive tackles who've played 400 snaps or more.

With 29 pressures, Marshall ranks fourth in the country, but the players ahead of him are all at non-Power 5 programs. Despite the pressures and 35 tackles, Marshall got home to the quarterback just one time, adding one forced fumble.

VITO CALVARUSO

There probably aren't many people, even in the Razorback community, who know who Arkansas kicker Vito Calvaruso is–but they should. He's the reason Arkansas's special teams hardly had to worry about kickoff return coverage as the specialist kicked 68.7% of his kicks through the back of the endzone. Only 11 of Calvaruso 48 kickoffs were returnable, four went out of bounds. The last Arkansas kicker to get touchbacks at a similar rate was Zach Hocker in 2013.

If AJ Reed's four kickoff attempts hadn't brought down Arkansas's average, the Hogs would rank 14th in the nation in touchback percentage and 6th in the SEC.

Calvaruso is a walk-on true freshman from Jefferson City, Missouri. Luckily for the Hogs, Calvaruso can stick around the Hill for four more seasons.