razorbacks - Sporting Life Arkansas

SPORTINGLIFEARKANSAS.COM
PRESENTSTHE
2013
RAZORBACKS
RECRUITINGISSUE
2013 RAZORBACKS
BYJIMHARRIS
For at least the past 30 years, the strength of Arkansas’
recruiting classes hinged on the output of talent within the
Natural State, unless the head coach and his staff could work
some magic beyond the state’s borders.
To wit: Maybe the best one year for Arkansas high school talent in the past
decade-plus was the 2000 high school football season that produced the likes
of Matt Jones and Shawn Andrews. Hence, when we look back at the best
recruiting seasons under former coach Houston Nutt, the 2001 signing class for
those fall 2000 prospects is right at the top.
The same can be said for Bobby Petrino’s recruiting over his five hauls. While
national recruiting rankings say his 2009 signing class was his best of the five,
a re-ranking of the 2008 class (featuring in-state receivers Joe Adams, Jarius
Wright, Greg Childs, Chris Gragg, Ryan Mallett’s transfer) has placed that initial
signing haul at the top of all the Petrino classes — though the jury is still out on
2011-2012.
Nutt and Petrino occasionally picked up an out-of-state talent to complement the
in-staters (Felix Jones, for example, in the Darren McFadden-led class of 2005 for
Nutt, or 5-star cornerback Ahmad “Batman” Carroll with that 2001 class), they
both needed Arkansas’ high schools producing more than a handful of SECquality players.
That wasn’t the case, however, in Frank Broyles’ heyday, or in the early years of
Lou Holtz’ tenure.
When Broyles first beat Texas in 1960, it open the doors to such prized Lone Star
State blue-chippers as Ronnie Caveness and Jerry Lamb, then Loyd Phillips and
others, leading to an Arkansas domination in the 1960s. Broyles enjoyed a late
resurgence in 1975, again thanks to a Texas influx recruited mostly by thenassistant Jimmy Johnson.
Holtz’ 1979 class featured Razorback legacy Billy Ray Smith Jr., who drew every
big-time college coach to watch him in Plano, Texas, as well as Texan Ron Faurot
and Columbia, Mo., star Gary Anderson, among the key pieces in a 34-13-1 run
during the 1979-82 period.
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
SPORTINGLIFEARKANSAS.COM
In fact, after 1982, Arkansas didn’t crack the Top 5 again until Petrino’ 2011 team
reached a zenith of No. 3 and finished the year at No. 5.
So now we come to the point where Bret Bielema attempts to piece together the
wreckage left by Petrino’s spring ouster and the incompetence of interim head
coach John L. Smith and his aides in the fall to do anything with the talent
left them.
Also, unlike Petrino’s initial class when he took over for Nutt, Bielema
encountered a down year in Arkansas talent with one of the best players in state
(running back Altee Tenpenny) already firmly committed to Alabama.
However, rather than keep hold of eight out-of-state commitments to the
previous staff whose SEC-worthiness was in question (ultimately none would
sign with a program stronger than Cincinnati of the Big East), Bielema held on
to the few Arkansas commitments in place and set his coaches out to fill many
other spots.
He leaned on the Florida connections of his former Wisconsin aide Charlie
Partridge and new linebackers coach Randy Shannon, the former Miami player
and coach. He took new offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who spent the past
season at Tennessee and the previous four before that at North Carolina, from
Hawaii to Florida to nail down some behemoths to help the transition up front to a
run-influenced offense.
Partridge’s determination paid off with 5-star running back Alex Collins, who
already had a relationship with the new Hog coaches when they were at
Wisconsin and who wanted to get out of the Miami area.
But it was when 6-foot-5, 333-pound Denver Kirkland put on a Razorback cap and
pledged himself to the UA that people around the country took notice.
Bielema and his coaches were reaching out beyond Arkansas big-time for
difference-makers.
Kirkland joined two other linemen who at one time were headed to Tennessee
to join Pittman there — Honolulu’s 6-3, 320-pound Reeve Koehler and 6-foot-10
Coloradoan Dan Skipper.
Bielema’s promise to start the building of his program from inside out — focusing
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
SPORTINGLIFEARKANSAS.COM
on the lines early and working on the skill positions afterward — was realized.
Kirkland could play immediately, Koehler may not be far behind, and when
Skipper adds 40 pounds, the trio could be the foundation for a Razorback line the
likes of which have not been seen in these parts in at least a decade — at least
since future NFL stars Andrews and Jason Peters were the formidable blockers
on the 2003 line.
The new staff’s late start required the flipping of more than handful of highly
touted players who had committed elsewhere. New Jersey quarterback/safety
prospect Damon Mitchell gave up a Georgia Tech offer and a late push from
Boston College and Rutgers to choose Arkansas, and Melvinson Hartfield
turned down the chance to be another do-everything speedster at Kansas State
to be a Hog at the end. Denzell Evans, a bowling ball of a running back, had a
scholarship to hometown Houston, but the lure of the SEC and Arkansas was too
strong.
In the end, when Bielema was reviewing the signing class, his only laments were
not being able to flip Tenpenny or add one more 4-star offensive lineman, though
two who had long committed elsewhere were considering Arkansas right up to
the end.
The in-state haul presented Arkansas with the best tight end prospect since D.J.
Williams in Pulaski Academy’s Hunter Henry, as well as the fast, multi-skilled
Drew Morgan from Greenwood.
Good news on the academic front allowed Osceola’s Korliss Marshall to
command a late offer from Arkansas, where he’ll start out at safety. Twotime Class 7A state champ Fayetteville produced a trio of potential stars in
quarterback Austin Allen, linebacker Brooks Ellis and safety Alex Brignoni.
Forrest City defensive lineman Tevin Beachum, relatively new to the game,
wowed scouts in the summer with his athleticism and earned an offer from the
previous staff.
Areas of immediate need — a punter to replace the solid Dylan Breeding and
more players at linebacker and defensive back — were addressed with junior
college signees, while the Hogs also added more depth to the secondary with
some prep help too for down the line.
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
2013 RAZORBACKS
SPORTINGLIFEARKANSAS.COM
2013 RAZORBACKS FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS
2 0 1 3 R A Z O R B A C K S R E C R U I T I N G I S S U E N O TA B L E Q U O T E S
The nationally stunning additions of Collins and Kirkland out of talent rich south
Florida, though, were the master strokes that excited Arkansas fans the most and
made many observers believe that Bielema and crew can have the Hogs back to
winning sooner than expected.
Randy Shannon, Linebackers Coach, @RLS2294
Does this class open the doors to more recruits from South Florida?
“Yeah, but we’ve got to get the right fit for Arkansas. There’s a lot of talent
in that South Florida region, but if you don’t have the right fit for Arkansas,
it won’t work. So, we’ve got to make sure we do our job and go down
there, and if it’s somebody who fits for Arkansas, we’ll recruit him. If it’s
not, we’re not going to recruit him.”
Chris Ash, Defensive Coordinator, @CoachChrisAsh
Recruiting for the Razorbacks’ needs:
“It’s hard for me to say because I don’t know much about the players here
yet, but from what I’ve heard, from last season’s results, the linebackers
and the DB’s needed to be addressed. What we needed to do is basically
create some competition, and that’s why some of the junior college
players were recruited. We have some extremely talented young players
in the program that are going to be developed, and they’re going to see
huge gains and big jumps in their performance on the field, but we needed
some competition. I think we’ve created that.”
Charlie Partridge, Defensive Line Coach, @CoachPartridge
More on the South Florida pipeline:
“The thing about recruiting South Florida, I’ve been fortunate enough to
be doing that area for quite a while, and I feel like we have a trust factor
with that group. And as long as we continue to treat our kids the right
way, which I know we will, and continue to earn the trust on behalf of
Arkansas, we’ll continue to have an opportunity to recruit the right kind of
kids from that area. So I think it was a good start.”
*TIQUENTION COLEMAN:
S
5’ 10
195 lbs. Mauldin, S.C.
Georgia Military College/Mauldin HS
*JOHNATHAN MCCLURE:
OL
6’ 4
310 lbs. Wichita, Kan.
Butler CC/Wichita Heights HS
*MYKE TAVARRES
*CARROLL WASHINGTON
DE’ANDRE COLEY
LB
6’ 2
215 lbs. Lake Oswego, Ore.
College of the Siskiyous/Lakeridge HS
CB
6’ 0
175 lbs. Baltimore, Md.
Hartnell (Calif.) CC/ Edmondson-Westside HS
S
6’ 1
178 lbs. Miami, Fla.
Northwestern HS
BROOKS ELLIS
LB
6’ 2
Fayetteville HS
215 lbs. Fayetteville, Ark.
AUSTIN ALLEN
QB
6’ 2
Fayetteville HS
210 lbs. Fayetteville, Ark.
TEVIN BEANUM
DE
6’ 3
Forrest City HS
235 lbs. Forrest City, Ark.
KE’TYRUS MARKS
DREW MORGAN
D.J. DEAN
KORLISS MARSHALL
DT
Fla.
6’ 1
288 lbs. West Palm Beach,
Suncoast HS
WR
6’ 0
190 lbs. Greenwood, Ark.
Greenwood HS
CB
5’ 10
Newton HS
180 lbs. Newton, Texas
S
6’ 0
Osceola HS
200 lbs. Osceola, Ark.
* Junior college signees
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
SPORTINGLIFEARKANSAS.COM
2013 RAZORBACKS FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS
HUNTER HENRY
DAN SKIPPER
MARTRELL SPAIGHT
DENVER KIRKLAND
DENZELL EVANS
MELVINSON HARTFIELD
DAMON MITCHELL
ALEX BRIGNONI
SAM IRWIN-HILL
REEVE KOEHLER
ALEX COLLINS
TE
6’ 5
238 lbs. Little Rock, Ark.
Pulaski Academy
OT
6’ 10
295 lbs. Arvada, Colo.
Ralston Valley HS
LB
6’ 0
220 lbs. North Little Rock, Ark.
Coffeyville (Kan) CC/North Little Rock HS
OG
6’ 5
320 lbs. Miami, Fla.
Booker T. Washington HS
RB
6’ 0
Bellaire HS
205 lbs. Houston, Texas
WR
5’ 11
183 lbs. Dallas, Texas
South Oak Cliff HS
QB
6’ 2
200 lbs. Egg Harbor, N.J.
Cedar Creek HS
S
6’ 1
Fayetteville HS
200 lbs. Fayetteville, Ark.
P
6’ 3
215 lbs. Bendingo Australia
City College of San Francisco
OG
6’ 3
325 lbs. Honolulu Hawai’i
Saint Louis School
RB
5’ 11
207 lbs. Fort Lauderdale Fla.
South Plantation HS
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
2013 RAZORBACKS
BIGGEST GET
Alex Collins 5’ 11, 207 lbs. RB Fort Lauderdale Fla. — Even though Collins has
only played football for two seasons, he is one of the best running backs in the
country. Bielema has a history of hanging his hat on a workhorse back. Collins
fits that bill with a combination of speed and power.
MOST LIKELY FUTURE NFL FIRST-ROUNDER
Denver Kirkland 6’ 5, 320 lbs., DT West Palm Beach, Fla. — Kirkland already has
an NFL frame, and offensive lineman are a coveted commodity in the draft. It’s
also likely Kirkland could be at least a three-year starter before he finishes his
collegiate career.
A PLAYER TO WATCH
Drew Morgan 6’ 0, 190 lbs., WR, Greenwood — Morgan had few initial offers
and committed to Arkansas State last year, but Bielema offered him soon after
arriving in Fayetteville. Morgan, who won the Landers Award given to the state’s
top prep player, played multiple positions in high school, has a high football
IQ, and understands how to win and work hard after playing on three state
championship teams at Greenwood.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Rushed 2013 Signing Class Good Start to ‘Bielema Era’
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
2013 RAZORBACKS
BYNATEOLSON
Bret Bielema ran the recruiting version of the two-minute drill
to perfection.
The stellar performance, pulled off in only two months, included
stealing two blue-chip prospects out from under the nose of the University of
Miami, and made Hog fans wonder, “What can this staff do with a full season?”
When Bielema took the job in December he wasted no time in evaluating a
recruiting class that the old staff had assembled and hiring new assistants. As
he carefully added aides, he cut ties with eight of the old prospects. Bielema
made it clear he wasn’t interested in filling this class with bodies. He sought
“uncommon men” as he mentioned in his introductory press conference. It took
overtime, but he eventually landed some outstanding talent.
“First and foremost, you have to be an athlete that will fit here in Arkansas, no
matter where you are coming from,” Bielema said. “I wanted those players to
fit what Arkansas is, and it’s really important to me. They have to believe in the
family. If I am going to get them here and talk about the Arkansas football family,
I didn’t want them to not know any idea of what that meant.”
Bielema set the program up for a strong recruiting class in 2013 and stronger
in the future by hiring a handful of Florida natives. During Bielema’s tenure at
Wisconsin he recruited “The Sunshine State” well thanks to defensive line
coach Charlie Partridge’s roots. Hiring former Miami player and head coach
Randy Shannon as linebackers coach was almost the equivalent of landing a
five-star recruit.
With the staff intact, they hit the road. Initially, they shored up some of the commitments
they received, including Pulaski Academy All-American tight end Hunter Henry. Henry
(6’ 5, 238 lbs.) wasn’t sure if he wanted to play for the run-oriented Bielema. He debated
about taking a recruiting trip to Alabama. However, after researching the success of some
of the Wisconsin tight end alumni that are playing in the NFL like Owen Daniels (Houston
Texans) Henry affirmed his commitment.
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
SPORTINGLIFEARKANSAS.COM
Bielema and Co. then spread out across the country, even flying to Hawaii to land
All-American offensive lineman Reeve Koehler. The staff also nabbed mammoth
3-star lineman Dan Skipper (6’ 10, 295 lbs.) from Arvada, Colo.
Partridge and running backs coach Joel Thomas set up shop in Florida and
found some diamonds in the rough, while stealing two hometown recruits from
Miami. The staff saw the potential in two-star Miami Northwestern cornerback
De’Andre Cooley, and two-star West Palm Beach defensive tackle
Ke’Tyrus Marks.
However, Partridge did the most damage securing two big-time talents. On the
Monday before signing, day four-star running back Alex Collins, a longtime
Miami commit, flipped to Arkansas. The Hogs had to wait an extra day for his
signature as Collins’ mother ran off with his letter of intent. Despite the bizarre
behavior, the 5-foot-11, 207-pounder kept his word and pushed the Hogs class
nearly into the rivals.com Top 25 rankings.
On signing day, another hometown boy recruited hard by the ’Canes, Denver
Kirkland, announced he was heading to Fayetteville live on ESPNU. Kirkland, a
6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive lineman, chose the Hogs over the ’Canes and also
had offers from Auburn, USC, Florida State and others.
Hog fans and recruiting experts alike marveled at the ground the new staff
covered in two months. Many of the relationships, especially the Florida
products, were carryovers from Wisconsin. The pledges thought enough of
Partridge and Bielema to follow them to Arkansas.
After talking to several of the recruits in the 2013 and 2014 class, it’s easy to
see the laid-back, easy-going approach is appreciated by players and parents.
Collins may have gone to Wisconsin if Bielema stayed there. He wanted to get
away from Florida, and he trusts this staff. He wasn’t deterred by the move to
Fayetteville. In fact, Fayetteville may be a better fit than Madison. He raved about
the hospitality he received.
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
2013 RAZORBACKS
Bielema didn’t want to forget about his new back yard. After hiring former Hogs
quarterback and Bentonville offensive coordinator, Barry Lunney Jr., as tight
ends coach, he charged the Fort Smith native to scour the state to ensure no one
was left the out.
What resulted was the signing of Osceola defensive back Korliss Marshall. The
three-star recruit had been evaluated as a running back but hadn’t been offered
a scholarship by the old regime. He remained committed to Central Arkansas
until the weekend leading up to signing day, when he ultimately pledged to the
U of A.
Bielema exhausted all efforts to land North Little Rock four-star running back
Altee Tenpenny. Bielema visited Tenpenny’s residence, North Little Rock High
School and the restaurant where he holds a part-time job. The Razorback staff
did everything possible to land the prized running back. It wasn’t enough. On the
night that Collins committed, Tenpenny affirmed his commitment to Alabama
via Twitter.
Still, the lengths to which the staff went, weren’t lost on North Little Rock coach
Brad Bolding, and other in-state coaches. Bielema already has two in-state
players secured for the 2014 Class in NLR running back Juan Day, the cousin of
former Hog-star running back Cedric Cobbs, and El Dorado four-star defensive
lineman Bijhon Jackson. Four-star Springdale Har-Ber defensive lineman Josh
Frazier, who has an offer from Alabama, is highly interested in the Hogs. What
he witnessed in the past two months may have him even more intrigued, but he
wants to evaluate the staff more before he commits.
Everyone is still trying to get to know the Hogs staff. Of course, the 2013 season
will go a long way in getting them acquainted. The past two months spent
feverishly recruiting is just a small taste. However, if they continue at this pace
the rookie staff won’t have a problem keeping up with the rugged SEC West in
living rooms or on the field.
2013 RAZORBACKS RECRUITING ISSUE
Cash baCk reward*
No aNNual fee
9.99% aNNual perCeNtage rate†
enjoy these benefits, plus friendly, local support!
*Cash back bonus of up to 1% paid annually. See program rules for details.
†
The following fees apply: cash advance fees of either $5 or 3% of the amount of the cash advance, whichever is
greater, with a maximum charge of $40; late payment fees of up to $29 and returned payment fees of up to $29.
First Security Bank reserves the right to change the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) at its discretion at any time.
Member FDIC
W O J O :
N O T
T H E
S T A T U S
Q U O
The new standard in on-the-go organization
Buy online at www.WojoWallet.com