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Are people under-estimating Connor’s potential in football?

Those speculations of Connor Noland being done on the football field may be a little premature, mainly because Chad Morris prefers two-sport players.

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Despite the fact it was, at times, a rough freshman campaign for Connor Noland for Arkansas in baseball, there are many that think his future is on the mound, not behind center.

There is a prevailing thought among many pundits out there he got too far behind in spring practice and won’t be able to crack what is becoming a large group in the quarterback room come August.

Some are too young to remember when Barry Lunney, Jr., was spending his springs pitching, then starting out so far down the depth chart in the fall no one counted on him.

And every year he ended up starting before the season got too far along.

In today’s world of college football, I’m not sure spring practice is as critical for quarterbacks and other skill position players as it once was. Some have told me the summer workouts are more important.

It’s interesting how many of these two-sport players seem to do pretty well. There’s a pretty logical reason that many don’t get at all.

A lot of folks don’t seem to remember Chad Morris actually prefers two-sport players.

“If I have players that are dead equal and one plays one sport and the other plays two sports, I’m going to go after the two-sport first,” he said before his first spring practice with the Razorbacks back in 2018.

He was answering questions about Noland, then a signee, playing two sports. He correctly sees more positives than negatives in players handling two sports in college.

“I feel like that does a couple things,” he said then. “One is it develops an overall, well-rounded skill set. Two, it shows me that this young man can be coached in different ways. Every coach that he deals with in a different sport coaches him a little bit different.”

Like some other coaches the Hogs have had over the years, playing quarterback in Morris’ offense requires maybe more ability above the shoulders than below. Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock confirmed that to me back in the spring.

The ups and downs Noland had in baseball has matured him in ways that didn’t happen during the disastrous 2018 football season.

Frank Broyles, Lou Holtz, Ken Hatfield and Danny Ford didn’t have big years with dumb jocks at quarterback. Houston Nutt had Clint Stoerner and Matt Jones, then came as close as the Hogs have in the SEC of winning a title with Casey Dick. Bobby Petrino won the most games in one season in his time with Tyler Wilson in 2011.

In football, the biggest arm or fastest legs usually don’t win championships unless they also have a huge football IQ combined with a level of maturity that is not common.

Often you get that when a player can handle two sports and juggle a classroom load.

“I want players that play multiple sports,” Morris has said.

My guess is we haven’t seen the last of Noland in football. It’s just a hunch, but he’ll have his timing and rapport down with the receivers and offense by August.

Don’t fall for guesses he’s done playing football.

He didn’t come to Fayetteville to only play baseball.

2024 Razorbacks Football

Fri, Dec 27Liberty Bowl
vs Texas Tech (Memphis)
6:00 PM
ESPN
Thu, Aug 29vs UAPB (Little Rock)W, 70-0
Sat, Sep 7@ Oklahoma StateL, 31-39 2OT
Sat, Sep 14vs UABW, 37-27
Sat, Sep 21@ AuburnW, 24-14
Sat, Sep 28vs Texas A&M (Arl)L, 21-17
Sat, Oct 5vs TennesseeW, 19-14
Sat, Oct 19vs LSUL, 34-10
Sat, Oct 26@ Mississippi StateW, 58-25
Sat, Nov 2vs Ole MissL, 63-31
Sat, Nov 16vs TexasL, 20-10
Sat, Nov 23vs Louisiana TechW, 35-14
Sat, Nov 30@ MissouriL, 28-21

2024 High School Rankings

OVERALLRecordPts
1.Bryant (21)13-02461
2.Greenwood (4)13-02242
3.Bentonville9-41855
4.Little Rock Parkview13-11734
5.Conway10-21563
6.Pulaski Academy10-31128
7.Shiloh Christian9-477
6.Benton10-2676
7.Fayetteville9-3527
9.Rogers8-4359
Others receiving votes: Arkadelphia 20, Farmington 15, Valley View 5, Hot Springs Lakeside, Mountain Home 2, Salem 2, Conway Christian 1, Little Rock Christian 1.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (25)13-01251
2.Bentonville9-4983
3.Conway10-2772
4.Pulaski Academy10-3485
5.Fayetteville9-3174
Others receiving votes: Rogers 10.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (25)13-01251
2.Shiloh Christian9-4964
3.Benton10-2772
4.Mountain Home10-3513
5.Lake Hamilton8-420
Others receiving votes: Little Rock Catholic 6.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (25)13-11251
4.Farmington12-2904
3.Valley View12-1683
5.Hot Springs Lakeside10-3605
2.Joe T. Robinson10-2252
Others receiving votes: Morrilton 3.
CLASS 4A
1.Arkadelphia (25)13-21252
2.Elkins14-1991
3.Little Rock Mills12-1523
4.Southside Batesville13-1465t
5.Warren10-3284
Others receiving votes: Malvern 3.
CLASS 3A
1.Salem (25)11-4125
2.Bismarck14-11001
3.Mansfield11-365
4.Fordyce11-1422
5.Osceola10-2214
Others receiving votes: Booneville 17, Prescott 3, Rivercrest 2.
CLASS 2A
1.Conway Christian (25)14-01252
2.East Poinsett Co.10-4984
3.Junction City9-468
5.Mount Ida9-341
4.Carlisle11-1251
Others receiving votes: Des Arc 8, Bigelow 6, Murfreesboro 3, Cross County 1.
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (25)8-0751
2.Midland11-1502
3.Cedar Ridge9-2223
Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3.

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ESPN ARKANSAS 99.5 IN FAYETTEVILLE, 95.3 IN THE RIVER VALLEY, 96.3 IN HOT SPRINGS, 104.3 IN HARRISON-MOUNTAIN HOME.