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Former Razorbacks star Treylon Burks makes NFL 'Catch of the Year'

Spectacular touchdown grab quickly went viral and might spark resurgence to Burks' pro career
Bob Stephens|
Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (13) makes a catch for a touchdown defended by Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) in the third quarter of the game at Northwest Stadium.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (13) makes a catch for a touchdown defended by Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) in the third quarter of the game at Northwest Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

Former Razorback Treylon Burks amazed the football world Sunday night with his spectacular, leaping one-handed grab of a touchdown pass that took only minutes to go viral across the digital world.

"Catch of the year" was proclaimed by many. What's certain is that few could be judged better than Burks' stunning reception of Marcus Mariota's pass.

Here are a couple of angles that display the difficulty, not just of the catch but Burks' determination to hang onto the ball for a score.

The Hogs' former All-SEC receiver reminded everyone why he was a No. 1 draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2022, following his junior season at Arkansas in 2021.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from Warren, Arkansas, has struggled as a pro but that changed in a flash with his sensational scoring catch on third-and-goal that gave the Washington Commanders a lead over the Denver Broncos in the third quarter.

Treylon Burks' one-handed grab looks amazing from this angle.
Treylon Burks' one-handed grab looks amazing from this angle. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

"Unbelievable touchdown!" proclaimed NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, almost screaming the words. "Insane stuff from Treylon Burks,"

Tirico's partner in the broadcast booth, as always on Sunday night games, was color commentator Chris Collinsworth, a former NFL wide receiver.

"The one thing that we heard from (Washington coach) Dan Quinn was that Burks was so hungry for action," Collinsworth said. "Classic. One handed, one fingertip over the edge of the ball to stop that thing. Stop it! That's insane."

"That's as good as you will ... ever ... see," added Tirico.

Former NFL Giant shows respect to Burks

It was Burks’ second career touchdown and first since 2022 with the Titans. Collinsworth compared it to a famous one-handed grab by Odell Beckham Jr. during a Sunday night game in 2014.

Beckham took notice, posting on his X account to compliment Burks and noted that both receivers were wearing No. 13.

Biggest difference in the two catches is that Burks was tightly covered and Beckham was not. Both amazing grabs, for sure.

Burks might be best-ever Razorback receiver

An argument can easily be made that Burks is the greatest pass-catcher to play for the Hogs. He's sixth on the career list with 146 receptions but every other one on the Arkansas top 10 chart played four years, one more than Burks.

Burks was first-team All-Southeastern Conference as a junior with 66 catches for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was second-team All-SEC as a sophomore and made the All-Freshman team in his first year.

The Titans had high hopes for Burks as a rookie and figured he'd make their offense doubly dangerous as they paired him with star wideout DeAndre Hopkins.

Tennessee Titans first round draft pick Treylon Burks, center, holds up his jersey with head coach Mike Vrabel, left, and gen
Tennessee Titans first round draft pick Treylon Burks, center, holds up his jersey with head coach Mike Vrabel, left, and general manager Jon Robinson, right, during an introductory press conference April 29, 2022. | Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Burks was also drafted to replace the departed A.J. Brown, who left the Titans via free agency and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Burks caught 33 passes as a rookie for 444 yards and a touchdown but was hurt on that scoring grab. He caught only 20 balls the next two seasons as Titans quarterbacks also struggled to play at a decent NFL level.

Burks was waived by the Titans on Oct. 7 this season and latched on with Washington 10 days later.

He'd caught only four balls for 72 yards this season but missed time due to finger surgery on his right hand three weeks ago. He returned to the lineup Sunday night.

By the looks of that stunning catch, the surgery was successful. And it might be just the spark Burks needs to become the threat in the NFL like he was at Arkansas.

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Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56

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