Hampden-Sydney College junior wide receiver Major Morgan had a big 2018 season, and the Touchdown Club of Richmond took notice, naming Morgan the Small College Wide Receiver of the Year on Dec. 14.

“I thought it was an honor for them to pick me out of anybody else in (NCAA Division III) or (Division II),” Morgan said.

He noted working hard in the offseason, aiming to earn recognition far loftier than the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) third team honor that he received in 2017.

“Thanks to Coach Favret, he put me in the right spot to make plays, and I made plays this year, so I was hoping for something this year,” Morgan said.

Head Coach Marty Favret said it was no surprise Morgan earned an accolade like the one the Touchdown Club of Richmond handed him because he had a great year.

“I think Major really stepped up,” the coach said. “He was a big-time player for us and without question deserving of the award, and he was consistent and stayed healthy, and we’re obviously looking for bigger and better things from him next year.”

A press release from Hampden-Sydney Athletics noted that Morgan led the nation in NCAA Division III football with his receiving yards-per-game average of 127.0. He led the ODAC in receptions, with 81, and receiving yards, with 1,143, and he was second in receiving touchdowns, with 12.

“He’s got Division I talent,” Favret said. “He’s very tall, and he’s got great hips, and he’s a matchup issue; he wins a lot of the 50-50 balls. He’s a guy that’s going to get some looks at the next level. He’s very, very talented. Not to give you the specifics, but I’ve had calls from some NFL teams that want to look at him. He’s kind of a once-in-a-generational kind of kid for us.”

Before receiving this latest honor, Morgan previously garnered a 2018 All-ODAC first team honor and was named D3football.com Third Team All-South Region.

He helped the Tigers go 4-5 overall, including 4-3 in the ODAC, falling just short of the conference title and its accompanying NCAA Division III tournament berth after a loss to archrival Randolph-Macon College.

Morgan said the statistic he produced that he was most proud of was his receiving yards per game average.

“No matter what look the defense is giving you, you’ve got to find a way to be productive for your team and help them win,” he said. “Some games you’re going to be double-teamed, triple-teamed, and they’re going to have their eye on you, but (the job is) just finding a way to help your team win ballgames, so I’d say that consistency of having 120-some yards a game, I felt good about that.”

Revealing some of his preliminary goals for his senior season at Hampden-Sydney, Morgan said, “All-American would be icing on the cake, but right now I’m just really worried about winning the ODAC and beating Macon, because I’m 0-3 against them right now.”