Times have changed.
Two years ago, during Sam Pittman’s first season at Arkansas, [autotag]Trey Knox[/autotag] took a step backward. The man who had better receiving numbers than [autotag]Treylon Burks[/autotag] during their freshmen seasons was suddenly demoted, in Pittman’s doghouse. He had gone from 28 grabs to seven, from three touchdowns to zero.
In 2022, Knox moved to tight end, a position Arkansas badly needed depth. The move wasn’t Knox’s first choice, but his willingness to alter his game impressed the coaching staff and he finished with 20 receptions and a touchdown.
Saturday, during Arkansas’ scrimmage inside Walker Pavilion, he impressed more than the coaches with his new look. A former skinny wide receiver who needed to put on some pounds his freshman year now looks more like DJ Williams.
“I put on about 20 pounds to get to about 240,” Knox said. “I feel like I can make a lot of money playing tight end.”
That’s scary. His talent flashed enough in that first season that Arkansas’ three-headed monster out side – Knox, Burks and Mike Woods – was thought to be dangerous forever. Woods transferred. Burks is off to the NFL. Only Knox remains of the legacy. He hauled in three catches for 30 yards – the best numbers of the day – on Saturday.