62.8 F
Fayetteville

Agim projected as development pick in third round choice by Denver

Former Arkansas defensive tackle McTelvin “Sosa” Agim got his name called on the second day of the NFL Draft on Friday night going in the third round with the 95th pick in the draft to Denver.

According to evaluations, Agim is projected as a development player with a huge upside.

A five-star prospect from Hope who enrolled a semester early, then played in all 13 games his freshman season with the Razorbacks, starting the final five (27 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks) to land on the SEC All-Freshman squad.

Agim started 11 of 12 games played as a sophomore (37 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles).

He led Arkansas with 10 tackles for loss in 12 starts in 2018, racking up 45 stops, 4.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Agim topped his squad with 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2019, posting 39 total tackles and forcing a fumble in 12 starts.

Here is the analysis of him at NFL.com, the league’s official website:

Agim is a work in progress with only one season as a full-time defensive tackle after playing defensive end previously. While his technique and fundamentals are still in a developmental stage as an interior defender, elements like hand placement and ball awareness are expected at defensive end, so it is a little disappointing they are behind. He has snap quickness to become a better one-gap penetrator and rush talent to build upon if he can attack with a better plan and more urgency. He’s not strong enough to withstand NFL power at the point of attack so development of strength and technique will be critical if he is to become a rotational 4-3 defensive tackle.

He is the seventh Razorback taken by the Broncos and the 272nd Arkansas football player drafted. The last Arkansas played selected by Denver was David Williams in 2018 (226th). At least one Razorback has been picked in each of the last 25 years of the NFL Draft, which ranks fourth in the SEC.

It also marks back-to-back years a Razorback defensive tackle has gone in the draft, as Armon Watts was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL Draft.

With rookie salaries pre-determined in agreement with the players’ association, Agim will make approximately $825,000 as a rookie after making the team roster after training camp with a signing bonus that usually runs just under that amount.

Franks may be welcoming challenge of turning things around quick for Hogs

0

If you want a clearer picture of the difference between this Arkansas football staff and the last one all you really have to do is look at the graduate transfer quarterback each landed.

Kendal Briles and Sam Pittman landed a starter from an SEC team that has had success in the league and actually sounds enthusiastic about landing in Fayetteville.

The guys before brought in their previous quarterback who had never really won that much against Group of 5 teams and never over the big boys. We’re not even going to discuss letting a quarterback get away who then came back to town and embarrassed them with a Conference USA supporting cast.

Feleipe Franks sounded Friday like he’s glad to be in Fayetteville. The last quarterback sounded bored.

And it was clear pretty quick Briles’ track record at Baylor, Houston and Florida Atlantic got Franks’ attention.

“I’ve seen it work before,” Franks said of the Briles offense. “It’s been proven to work before.”

The Razorbacks’ current chaos is probably worse than things were with the Gators in 2017 when Jim McElwain stepped down as the coach as the team slipped to a 4-7 record and the coach left in the middle of the season.

Coming off a 9-4 record in 2016 and an SEC Championship game appearance that was a complete disaster in Gainesville.

But Franks was a part of how quickly things turned around.

“I’ve seen teams turn around in a year,” he said. “Just the motivation and stuff. We’re on the right track. If we approach it the right way it’ll be a blessing in the end.”

Listening to him Friday he almost seemed attracted to the challenge of turning around a team that has lost the same number of games each of the last two seasons as he won in his full season as the starter at Florida.

“It would have been easy for me to go to a top program where it’s already good, but who am I really helping there?” he said. “When I was at Florida we went 4-7 and the next we year we go and win 10 games and a New Year’s Six bowl.

“It’s about the motivation and we have that on this team. It just takes that one spark to start the turnaround, maybe a different coaching staff, a change.”

That’s what happened with the Gators as Dan Mullen came in, named Franks the starter and they made a drastic improvement.

Franks completed 58.4 percent of his passes in 2018 with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions out of 322 attempts.

“I love being the underdog,” he said. “That’s what makes me go harder each and every day to just prove more and more people wrong. That’s a good mentality for this team … just prove people wrong.

“All it takes is a flip of a switch and it turns around quick.”

Which is exactly what the Hogs’ fans are hoping happens.

 

Franks, Pool, Wagner on extended virtual time with new coaching staff

Arkansas players quarterback Feleipe Franks, linebacker Bumper Pool and offensive tackle Dalton Wagner’s complete unedited teleconference Friday with the media.

Loss to ULM followed by facing Alabama was rough start to Allen’s time

0

After a redshirt year, Brandon Allen wasn’t expecting to see the field that much in 2012 and all that changed on a night in Little Rock a lot of Arkansas fans would love to forget.

When Tyler Wilson was knocked out of the game against Louisiana-Monroe, it was time for the redshirt freshman to step in and he didn’t have a lot of quick success in a 34-31 overtime loss.

It had an effect he told Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas on Friday morning.

“I tried to not (affect him),” he said. “It’s tough to play against Alabama and going into the ULM game and not getting that win. It made me quickly realize that whatever I was doing wasn’t good enough.”

Many point to that ULM as the point when everything started to turn around in a 37-62 slide although Allen did manage to have a couple of successful years — 7-6 in 2014 and 8-5 in 2015, which are the best marks over the last eight seasons.

It does include a win over Texas in the Texas Bowl, a legendary win over Ole Miss where his two-point conversion in overtime won the game … but also a haunting loss to Mississippi State in 2015.

The two teams had traded big runs and after Dak Prescott led the Bulldogs to a score, Allen got his turn to try and set up a winning drive that ultimately ended with a blocked chip-shot field goal at the end.

“We just happened to get down there so quick that we didn’t want Dak to get the ball back,” he said. “Obviously they’d been scoring all day.”

After passing in a two-minute offense, the Hogs went into a run game setting up the field goal attempt.

“It was the smart play,” Allen said. “It was in there so close and we got them to burn all their timeouts. We were trying to set up a field goal and not let Dak have the ball with timeouts and time on the clock.

“In terms of time management it was a smart play. We did the right thing setting it up but weren’t able to get it done at the end.”

It’s one many Razorback fans still cringe over.

During the ongoing health crisis, Allen is playing a little golf at Fayetteville Country Club and looking to catch on with an NFL team after his contract ended with Denver.

Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast — Sam Pittman has two guys drafted, BA joins!

Tye & Tommy on Sam Pittman coaching two first rounders, BA joins, plus NFL Draft talk with Clay!

Thomas’ selection at No. 4 in NFL Draft gives Pittman another sales tool

0

When the New York Giants selected Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas at No. 4 in Thursday night’s draft it didn’t take his position coach, Sam Pittman, long to jump in with congratulations.

Thomas, a surprise selection at that spot. ESPN’s Mel Kiper had him a little lower of the tackles but obviously the Giants saw something.

For Pittman, though, it’s another valuable recruiting tool at Arkansas.

Few other offensive line coaches have put players so high in the NFL and Thomas keeps that number going.

LSU’s Joe Burrow was chosen first by Cincinnati, then Chase Young from Ohio State to the Redskins and another Buckeye, cornerback Jeff Okudah, went third to Detroit.

Interestingly, all three were teammates for a year at Ohio State.

After Thomas, Miami chose Alabama quarterback Tua Tagavola fifth.

The difference in salary from Burrow at No. 1 to Tagavola is an average of $1 million a year and $6 million over the course of the contract. NFL rookie contracts are fixed on a salary cap scale for the first four years.

He will actually make more than Thomas because Florida has no state income tax as opposed to New York.

Burrow will be first pick in tonight’s NFL draft, but Chizik likes Tua

0

There’s not a lot of drama in the NFL’s annual cattle auction tonight of who will be the first pick and quarterback taken, but the second quarterback off the board is drawing interest.

“I’ve had five first-round draft pick quarterbacks on my teams through the years,” SEC Network analyst and former Auburn coach Gene Chizik told Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas Thursday morning. “Joe Burrow is as impressive as any of them.”

But he does have this feeling that Alabama’s Tua Tagavola would be his choice next ahead of Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

“Tua’s not far behind him,” Chizik said. “Joe’s got the size, the arm, the acumen, the IQ … all of those things. Who’s going to be the better one down the road I just don’t know. If Tua is healthy it’s going to be hard for anybody in this class to have a pro career like he is.”

Unless there is a stunning change Cincinnati will take Ohio native Burrow with the first pick overall. After that things get a little interesting with both Miami at No. 5 and San Diego right behind them looking for a franchise quarterback.

“It would be hard for me with Miami at No. 5 to pass him up. He’s a game-changer. His arm strength, his accuracy, his ability to make quick decisions. He can make things happen when nothing’s there. He throws receivers open. Obviously the health issue is going to be the biggest question mark for him.”

Chizik, who still lives in Auburn, has seen Tagavola and is impressed with one of those intangibles you hear coaches talk about all time.

“Tua’s got the ‘it’ factor,” he said. “Everybody on that football team will follow him like a pied piper. Provided he stays healthy.”

You can listen to ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft tonight at ESPN Arkansas 95.3, 96.3, 104.3 and online at HitThatLine.com.

Neighbors’ uncut teleconference on Slocum, variety of subjects Thursday

Arkansas women’s basketball coach Mike Neighbors covered just about everything from finally landing graduate transfer Destiny Slocum to shaving his head and Vic Schaefer leaving Mississippi State for Texas.

Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast — Razorbacks that didn’t pan out, Coach Chizik and more!

Tye & Tommy on Razorbacks who didn’t make it in the NFL, coach Gene Chizik, Hog basketball recruits and more!