Another pair of Arkansas players landed on preseason watch lists for major college football awards Friday morning.
Six years after his older brother won the award, Hudson Henry is one of 56 tight ends on the Mackey Award watch list, while Rickey Stromberg is on the 40-man watch list for the Rimington Trophy for the second straight year.
They join teammates Treylon Burks (Maxwell, Biletnikoff), Jalen Catalon (Bednarik), Grant Morgan (Bednarik) and Trelon Smith (Doak Walker) as Razorbacks on preseason watch lists announced this week.
Henry is coming off a season in which he caught 16 passes for 92 yards and one touchdown while playing only six games because of injuries. The former four-star recruit split time at tight end with former walk-on Blake Kern, who caught 20 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns and will return as a “super senior” in 2021.
Stromberg also missed a game because of injury last year, but started – or played a majority of the snaps – in the other nine games and posted a solid 66.5 grade on Pro Football Focus. With 1,350 career snaps already under his belt, he is expected to start at center again this year.
Former Razorbacks have previously won each of these awards, both of which were created in 2000. D.J. Williams and Hunter Henry won the Mackey Award in 2010 and 2015, respectively, while Jonathan Luigs won the Rimington Trophy in 2007.
Another notable name on the Mackey Award watch list is Pittsburgh’s Lucas Krull, who began his college career as a pitcher at Arkansas before transferring to a junior college and eventually changing sports. He spent two years at Florida before transferring to Pitt, where he missed most of last season because of an injury.
July 19 – Bednarik Award (top defensive player) – Jalen Catalon, Grant Morgan
July 19 – Maxwell Award (top overall player) – Treylon Burks
July 20 – Davey O’Brien Award (top quarterback) – none
July 21 – Doak Walker Award (top running back) – Trelon Smith
July 22 – Biletnikoff Award (top wide receiver) – Treylon Burks
July 23 – John Mackey Award (top tight end) – Hudson Henry
July 23 – Rimington Trophy (top center) – Ricky Stromberg
July 26 – Butkus Award (top linebacker)
July 26 – Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back)
July 27 – Bronko Nagurski Trophy (top defensive player)
July 27 – Outland Trophy (top interior lineman)
July 28 – Lou Groza Award (top kicker)
July 28 – Ray Guy Award (top punter)
July 29 – Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player)
July 29 – Wuerffel Trophy (community service/academics)
July 30 – Walter Camp Award (top overall player)