Senior LB Grant Morgan is one of three finalists along with WR Dax Milne of BYU and OL Jimmy Morrissey of Pittsburgh for the Burlsworth Trophy – given annually to the nation’s top player who started his career as a walk-on. The winner will be announced today in a ceremony beginning at noon.
Ceremony live stream: http://burlsworthtrophy.com/live-stream/
The three finalists' resumes from @NWAHutch's making the case story:
Dax Milne
School: BYU
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Junior
Stats: 11 games, 63 receptions, 1,118 yards, 8 TD; 10 carries, 60 yards; 7 punt returns, 3 yards
PFF Grade (snaps): 89.3 (498) / PR - 53.4 (32)
A native of Utah who earned a scholarship following his sophomore year, Milne has been a major part of No. 14 BYU’s offense this season. He had a monster performance in a comeback win at Houston, catching nine passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns.
His 63 receptions are eighth nationally, while his 1,118 yards rank fourth in the FBS. Those numbers have helped him also be named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
Grant Morgan
School: Arkansas
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Stats: 9 games, 111 tackles (40 solo), 7.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 5 PBU, 2 QBH
PFF Grade (snaps): 73.4 (662) / ST - 60.8 (74)
Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Morgan was an unheralded recruit coming out of Greenwood and ultimately decided to come to Arkansas as a walk-on. After redshirting in 2016, he spent three years as a special teams ace and backup linebacker, earning a scholarship before the 2018 season.
Finally given an opportunity to start, Morgan not only put together an All-SEC worthy campaign but one of the best ever by an Arkansas linebacker. Until an injury sidelined him in the Missouri game, he led the country with 111 tackles and his 12.3 tackles per game still rank second nationally.
Morgan’s biggest moment of the season came in the Razorbacks’ win over Ole Miss. In addition to his 19 tackles, which included three for loss and one sack, he also had a pair of pass breakups and a game-sealing pick-six - all despite playing with essentially one arm because of a brace on his arm to protect an elbow injury.
Jimmy Morrissey
School: Pitt
Position: Center
Class: Senior
Stats: 11 games (11 starts)
PFF Grade (snaps): 68.2 (807)
After winning the starting job as a redshirt freshman, Morrissey was awarded a scholarship and never looked back. He’s started all 47 games in which he’s appeared and was a first-team All-ACC selection last season.
Playing more than 94 percent of the Panthers’ offensive snaps, he committed just two penalties. Both of those came against Boston College, when he slid over to right guard for the first time since his freshman year of high school to fill in for an injured teammate. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed 19 total pressures this year (3 sacks, 4 QB hits and 12 hurries) while posting a 63.8 pass-blocking grade and also earned a 68.7 run-blocking grade.
Ceremony live stream: http://burlsworthtrophy.com/live-stream/
The three finalists' resumes from @NWAHutch's making the case story:
Dax Milne
School: BYU
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Junior
Stats: 11 games, 63 receptions, 1,118 yards, 8 TD; 10 carries, 60 yards; 7 punt returns, 3 yards
PFF Grade (snaps): 89.3 (498) / PR - 53.4 (32)
A native of Utah who earned a scholarship following his sophomore year, Milne has been a major part of No. 14 BYU’s offense this season. He had a monster performance in a comeback win at Houston, catching nine passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns.
His 63 receptions are eighth nationally, while his 1,118 yards rank fourth in the FBS. Those numbers have helped him also be named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
Grant Morgan
School: Arkansas
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Stats: 9 games, 111 tackles (40 solo), 7.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 5 PBU, 2 QBH
PFF Grade (snaps): 73.4 (662) / ST - 60.8 (74)
Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Morgan was an unheralded recruit coming out of Greenwood and ultimately decided to come to Arkansas as a walk-on. After redshirting in 2016, he spent three years as a special teams ace and backup linebacker, earning a scholarship before the 2018 season.
Finally given an opportunity to start, Morgan not only put together an All-SEC worthy campaign but one of the best ever by an Arkansas linebacker. Until an injury sidelined him in the Missouri game, he led the country with 111 tackles and his 12.3 tackles per game still rank second nationally.
Morgan’s biggest moment of the season came in the Razorbacks’ win over Ole Miss. In addition to his 19 tackles, which included three for loss and one sack, he also had a pair of pass breakups and a game-sealing pick-six - all despite playing with essentially one arm because of a brace on his arm to protect an elbow injury.
Jimmy Morrissey
School: Pitt
Position: Center
Class: Senior
Stats: 11 games (11 starts)
PFF Grade (snaps): 68.2 (807)
After winning the starting job as a redshirt freshman, Morrissey was awarded a scholarship and never looked back. He’s started all 47 games in which he’s appeared and was a first-team All-ACC selection last season.
Playing more than 94 percent of the Panthers’ offensive snaps, he committed just two penalties. Both of those came against Boston College, when he slid over to right guard for the first time since his freshman year of high school to fill in for an injured teammate. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed 19 total pressures this year (3 sacks, 4 QB hits and 12 hurries) while posting a 63.8 pass-blocking grade and also earned a 68.7 run-blocking grade.
