Another Razorback senior decides to return; seventh to return

Dorian Gerald didn’t figure he would be around next season for Arkansas, but a second injury-plagued season obviously led to him changing his mind.

Before this covid-19 season started, Gerald said he didn’t plan on taking advantage of the NCAA’s rule allowing seniors to come back for a bonus year.

But after playing in just four of the 10 games this year with one start, he was recruited back to get some more film in hopes of playing at the professional level.

The other seniors who have announced they are returning are running back-wide receiver T.J. Hammonds, linebacker Grant Morgan, offensive linemen Ty Clary and Myron Cunningham, tight end Blake Kern and wide receiver De’Vion Warren.

And there could be more.

Hogs’ Texas Bowl officially canceled due to covid issues at TCU

Arkansas’ Texas Bowl appearance was officially canceled Tuesday afternoon after covid-19 issues within the TCU football program, according to the bowl.

Arkansas released a statement from Sam Pittman and athletics director Hunter Yurachek after the announcement:

Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman: “We are very disappointed not to get the opportunity to compete again as a team. We were excited and wanted to go play TCU in the Texas Bowl, but we certainly understand the issues in the TCU program. We had no positive tests from yesterday and were ready to go to Houston this afternoon with a healthy team. Our team and our student-athletes have sacrificed a lot over the last several months, including over the holidays, so this is a tough way to end our season. I’m so proud of our team for fighting and handling themselves through adversity all year.”

Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek: “We are disappointed that our student-athletes will not have an opportunity to compete against TCU in the Mercari Texas Bowl. In what has been one of the most unusual seasons in college football history, our student-athletes made incredible sacrifices and earned the opportunity to safely compete in 10 games during the 2020 football season. That is a tremendous credit to them and the efforts of Coach Sam Pittman, his staff, our medical team and the leadership of Commissioner Greg Sankey and the Southeastern Conference. We look forward to taking the field again for the 2021 season.”

The Razorbacks were scheduled to play the Horned Frogs on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Houston’s NRG Stadium. It would have been the first time the Hogs’ first bowl game since blowing a 24-point halftime lead against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl four years ago on Dec. 29, 2016.

The Hogs were set to leave at 12:45, but then the news started trickling out the game was canceled, according to media reports.

Bowl officials reached out to other teams, but were unable to find an opponent, media outlets are reporting.

Musselman glad to be cleared on covid protocols ahead of Auburn matchup

Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman says the media has seen more of his team the past week than he has while in quarantine on covid protocols.

Sills on having Musselman back, looking ahead to SEC opener with Auburn

Arkansas’ Desi Sills met with the media ahead of opening SEC play and facing someone he’s familiar with in Tigers’ Allen Flanigan.

Austin Allen on Brandon’s ‘game of your life’ leading Bengals past Texans

Former Razorback quarterback Austin Allen watched brother Brandon put up nearly 400 yards passing on Houston in “perfect way to cap the holidays.”

Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast – Keep em coming

0

Tye & Tommy on more guys coming back, Muss update, Austin Allen joins and more!

 

Franks likely not coming back, but has shown younger guys a real leader

1

Feleipe Franks probably won’t be drafted until the third day of the NFL Draft whenever it’s held, but he did what was expected of him at Arkansas.

Plus maybe a little more.

When the graduate transfer from Florida accepted a Senior Bowl invitation last week, the foregone conclusion is the Texas Bowl in Houston on Thursday night is his last college game.

There’s no complaining from Razorbacks fans … or coaches.

“I don’t anticipate him coming back,” Sam Pittman said Monday in his press conference before the team leaves Tuesday.

Coaches can say that and mean several different things. There are times coaches don’t want a player coming back, but that’s not the case with Franks.

He walked into a new team at a position with no stability, calmed things down and been an example to a team that really hadn’t seen a true leader in uniform what that looks like.

“Feleipe has done everything he can do for us,” Pittman said.

He’s not finished, yet. Maybe that shows every player on the team what a leader is. It’s not quitting with a couple of weeks left to prepare for the NFL Draft when you’re probably not even going to be picked like running back Rakeem Boyd did in November.

“I want to finish what I started,” Franks said last week. “I came here to compete for a season and that’s what I’m going to do. At the end of the day, I feel like I’ve gone to work week in and week out with these guys for 10 straight games, so why stop on the 11th?”

Unless something changes and he leaps up the draft boards, Franks won’t be an early pick. Most projects are fifth to sixth round and you don’t see many teams gambling on a pick at quarterback.

For a position that is often the face of a billion-dollar company, NFL teams look at more than how good of an arm quarterbacks have. History shows winning Super Bowls is often a lot more than arm strength.

Franks has those intangibles. His teammates of one year have noticed it.

“It says a lot about his leadership and his want-to,” offensive tackle Myron Cunningham said Monday. “He wants to be here and wants to play with us and finish the season the right way.”

Coming back for another season with the Hogs would probably boost him in the NFL Draft more than playing in the Senior Bowl, but that’s a decision for Franks to make. Pittman sounded confident in the future at quarterback.

Most of that’s because K.J. Jefferson had a big day against Missouri in his only start when Franks couldn’t go because of a rib injury and Malik Hornsby has a ton of potential.

“We feel we’re in good shape there at quarterback,” Pittman said.

Plus, those guys have seen what a leader is at that position.

That’s also why whatever he does after the Texas Bowl, the guess is he’ll be successful. He’s got a key ingredient for that.

“That shows a lot toward his character,” Pittman said of Franks staying with the team all the way through the season. “I’m really proud of him that he decided to play in the Texas Bowl.”

Catalon says Razorbacks ‘on a mission’ against TCU in Texas Bowl

Hogs’ safety Jalen Catalon told the media Monday the team “is on a mission” in bowl game as it’s “like our college football playoff.”

Hammonds’ roller-coaster with Hogs will continue for sixth year

0

T.J. Hammonds has almost lasted long enough with the Arkansas football program to qualify for retirement benefits … and he’s not leaving.

Hammonds announced on social media Monday he will be coming back for his sixth season with the Razorbacks.

“After talking to my family and the man up top. I feel its best if I return for another year.”

He does add an element of speed to an offense that looked for a couple of years like it was moving in slow motion most of the time.

Hammonds’ time with the Razorbacks has had ups and downs after signing as a four-star recruit from Joe T. Robinson in Little Rock.

He’s bounced between running back and wide receiver, but his big plays have come when he could get in the open field and use his speed. For whatever reasons he never found much stability on offense through three coaching staffs.

But he has gotten a degree … and he’s apparently not in any particular hurry to leave.

Hammonds has 544 yards and two touchdowns on only 79 carries. His career 6.9-yard average would rank second only to Felix Jones’ 7.7 in UA history if he had enough touches to qualify. He’s also caught 13 passes for 221 yards and two scores, for an average of 17.0 yards per reception.

He was able to return to school for a sixth season because of a rule change by the NCAA. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, all football players have been granted an extra year of eligibility, regardless of how much they played this season.