Former SMU quarterback Ben Hicks wasn’t exactly the glamorous name many Arkansas fans were hoping for when Chad Morris said back in December he was pursuing an “older quarterback.”
Morris recruited Hicks to SMU. He and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock developed him into the Mustangs’ leading passer.
But, maybe more importantly, Hicks worked with some big-time wide receivers, particularly Courtland Sutton, who was the No. 40 overall pick in the NFL draft in 2018 by the Denver Broncos.
He and Hicks more or less came through the development of Morris’ offensive system together. Sutton was a defensive back his freshman year with SMU, was injured and got a medical hardship, plus a new coach who moved him to offense.
Hicks now has a fairly talented group of freshmen wide receivers coming to Fayetteville, plus some young quarterbacks, who will likely start the season behind him. It won’t be surprising to see him leading the offense in spring and August practices.
It was clear in the first four practice periods per day the media got to watch things last year the amount of teaching was almost overwhelming at times.
Experienced quarterbacks Cole Kelley and Ty Storey often appeared as confused as their receivers. As the season wore on, the routes practiced became more and more basic.
The result was a season everybody would like to forget and now both of those guys are gone and Hicks will be the quarterback early.
At least he knows what Morris and Craddock want the quarterback doing.
We’ll see if he can explain it to the receivers.
The potential is there for this group that includes early enrollees Shamar Nash and Trey Knox, a signee in TQ Jackson and expected Wednesday signees Treylon Burks and Hudson Henry.
Predicting college careers for high school stars is for other people. There are too many variables that have nothing to do with football that come into play and can often derail talented players for me to start forecasting careers.
But the potential is there with this group to be as good as the 2008 class (Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, Greg Childs, Chris Gragg). They had to prove it on the field, though.
As much as receivers coaches Justin Stepp and Barry Lunney, Jr., will be teaching and working with them, Hicks will be as crucial. He’s been there, done it with these coaches, knows what they want and he’s seen up close and personal what a high NFL receiver draft choice does.
Now we won’t know any of these answers for awhile.
With the days counting down fast to the final signing day Wednesday, no one is looking ahead much to spring practice. In Morris’ system of four quarters, we’re getting close to the start of the second quarter (spring practice) towards the end of the month.
That may give us some clues.
But few answers.
it’s frustrating for fans, but, once again, nobody will really know what they don’t know about this team for awhile.
