Arkansas offensive coordinator Joe Craddock talked with the media about the Razorbacks’ signees on National Signing Day.
Lots of changes for defensive line coach Caldwell coming back
Arkansas defensive line coach Steve Caldwell talked about how things have changed since he was with the Razorbacks previously.
Hogs sign eight more for 2018 signing class
Andrew Parker
Linebacker
6-2 | 225
New Orleans, La. | Sophie B. Wright
Twitter: @KXNGDRXW__
Consensus three-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN … Ranked as the No. 33 inside linebacker, and the No. 34 player in Louisiana, according to 247Sports … Rated the No. 60 player in the state and the No. 49 inside linebacker in the country by ESPN … Played on both sides of the ball … Lined up at both inside and outside linebacker as a senior in 2017 … Named to Louisiana Sportsline’s 9-3A All-District Team … Credited with 107 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and one recovered fumble while rushing for 275 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries … Chose Arkansas over Texas A&M, Texas, TCU and others.
• • •
Noah Gatlin
Offensive Lineman
6-7 | 300
Jonesboro, Ark. | Jonesboro HS
Twitter: @NoahGatlin73
Consensus three-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … Rated the No. 793 overall player in the nation, the No. 62 offensive tackle in the class and the No. 8 prospect in Arkansas per the 247Sports Composite … Considered the No. 75 offensive tackle and the No. 8 player in Arkansas by ESPN … A three-year varsity starter … Part of an offensive line that helped Jonesboro average 44.2 points per game over the last two seasons … As a senior, graded at 88 percent and had 11 pancake blocks … Helped pave the way for the Hurricane to total 2,395 yards rushing and average 6.8 yards per carry … Provided time for his quarterbacks to throw for 2,711 yards and 31 touchdowns … As a junior, blocked for 2,189 yards rushing and 29 TDs on the ground … Part of an offensive line that cleared paths for Jonesboro to average 6.5 yards per carry … Also provided time for his quarterbacks to total 3,418 yards and 46 TDs through the air … Coached by Randy Coleman … Chose Arkansas over Mississippi State, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Virginia, Iowa State, Indiana and others.
• • •
Ryan Winkel
Offensive Lineman
6-6 | 286
Memphis, Tenn. | Christian Brothers HS
Twitter: @_ryanwinkel_
A three-star prospect according to the 247Sports composite … No. 32 ranked player in the state of Tennessee and the No. 96 offensive tackle in the class by 247Sports … Named a first-team all-state selection in Division II-AAA and a first-team Commercial Appeal all-metro pick as a senior … Helped Christian Brothers to a 12-1 record … Part of an offensive line that paved the way for 2,417 rushing yards, including one 1,000-yard rusher, and 34 rushing touchdowns … Cleared paths for the Purple wave to top the 200-yard rushing mark six times, highlighted by three 300-plus yard games … Blocked for a rushing attack that averaged 6.2 yards per carry … Provided time for his quarterbacks to throw for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns … As a junior, started every game in his first season with Christian Brothers and made first-team all-region and all-conference … Played at Bearden High School in Knoxville at the varsity level during his freshman and sophomore seasons … Earned first-team honorable mention honors as a sophomore … Played in six games as a freshman … Chose Arkansas over Mississippi State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Northwestern, Virginia, UCF and others.
• • •
Courtre’ Alexander
Defensive Lineman
6-5 | 260
Owasso, Okla. | Owasso HS
Twitter: @ctrealexander
Consensus three-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … Ranked as the nation’s No. 48 player, No. 44 weak-side defensive end and the No. 13 player in Oklahoma, per the 247Sports Composite … Considered the No. 11 player in the state and No. 58 defensive end in the class according to ESPN … No. 21 prospect in The Oklahoman’s Super 30 rankings … Named to the 2017 All-World first team … Also earned all-district honors from the Tulsa World … Helped lead Owasso to Oklahoma’s Class 6A-I state title with 53 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries as a senior … The Rams became the first team since 1995 other than Jenks or Tulsa Union to win the championship in Oklahoma’s largest classification … In the 21-14 win over Union in the championship game, had an important fourth-and-1 stop that turned the ball over on downs and had a red-zone tackle for loss that preceded a missed field goal … Had a key interception and a sack in a 21-0 win over Jenks in the semifinals, and scored on a 35-yard fumble return against Westmoore in the quarterfinals … Had 60 tackles as a junior … Also played basketball at Owasso … Coached by Bill Blankenship … Chose Arkansas over Texas and others.
• • •
Myles Mason
Defensive Back
6-2 | 205
Trussville, Ala. | Hewitt-Trussville HS
Twitter: @TrackstarMyles
Four-star recruit by ESPN … Top-15 prospect in Alabama by ESPN (No. 10), 247Sports (No. 13) and Rivals (No. 16) … No. 21 ranked safety in the class by ESPN and No. 29 by 247Sports … No. 431 ranked player in the nation by 247Sports Composite … Helped Hewitt-Trussville to an 11-0 overall record and 7-0 mark in region play as a senior in 2017 … Tallied 41 tackles, two pass breakups on defense and five touchdowns on offense, while missing four games due to injury … Rushed 30 times for 277 yards and five touchdowns … Had a rushing TD in four games, including a two-score effort in a 49-7 season-opening win against Grissom … Turned in five stops, including 2.0 for loss, in a 45-13 win against James Clemens … Logged a season-high 13 solo tackles in a 45-35 win against Florence … Coached by Josh Floyd … Played his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons at Pleasant Grove before transferring to Hewitt-Trussville … Played running back, receiver and defensive back for the majority of his career at Pleasant Grove … Had 84 tackles on defense as a junior … Helped lead the Spartans to a state championship runner-up spot en route to second-team all-state honors as a freshman in 2014 … Chose Arkansas over Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Florida State and others … His father, Larry, played at Southern Miss and Troy, and professionally in USFL (Jacksonville Bulls), Canadian Football League (Calgary Stampeders) and NFL (Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers) in the 1980s and early 1990s.
• • •
John Stephen Jones
Quarterback
5-11 | 185
Dallas, Texas | Highland Park HS
Twitter: @JohnSJones15
Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN … Ranked the No. 42 pro-style quarterback in the class and the No. 154 overall recruit from the state of Texas, according to the 247Sports … Completed 505 of 777 passes for 7,965 yards, 90 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and ran 265 times for 674 yards and 19 touchdowns during his career at Highland Park … As a senior, led Highland Park to a second straight state title in December … Finished the season with 5,200 total yards and 71 touchdowns, and was voted District 15-5A MVP, all-state honorable mention and won the 2017 Landry Award … Finished with 564 yards and four touchdowns on 37-of-58 passing in the 53-49 win over Manvel at AT&T Stadium, becoming the first player to throw for more than 500 yards in a University Interscholastic League championship game and setting title-game records for completions and attempts … Led his team on a nine-play drive that included a fourth-and-15 conversion and concluded with a go-ahead touchdown pass, his 61st of the season, to with 34 seconds remaining … Named the Offensive MVP of the state championship game, the Dallas Morning News SportsDay Area Offensive Player of the Year and the Built Ford Tough Class 5A Player of the Year in Texas … Is the grandson of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who was a co-captain on Arkansas’ 1964 national title team … His father, Stephen Jones, also played for the Razorbacks and is the Cowboys vice president … Coached by Randy Allen at Highland Park … Chose Arkansas over Texas Tech, SMU and others.
• • •
Rakeem Boyd
Running Back
6-0 | 200
Independence (Kan.) CC/Stratford HS | Houston, Texas
Twitter: @boyd_rakeem
No. 3 JUCO running back nationally, according to 247Sports … Out of high school was a four-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals, ESPN top 300 recruit, consensus top-25 running back with a best of No. 8 by Rivals … Rushed for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns in 10 games at Independence in 2017, posting 6.3 yards per carry … Averaged 121.1 yards rushing per game … Topped 100-plus yards on the ground in five games, highlighted by a 215-yard performance at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and a 303-yard effort against Coffeyville Community College … In the regular-season finale on Nov. 11, rushed for 303 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries … In the Midwest Classic Bowl on Dec. 3, had 215 yards and three scores on 35 carries and was named offensive MVP of the game … Logged a rushing touchdown in six games and multiple touchdowns in four games … Posted a season-high four rushing touchdowns against Ellsworth Community College … Rushed for 6,436 yards and 80 touchdowns in his high school career … Helped Stratford reach the 2013 state semifinals in 2013 and the regional quarterfinals in 2014 and 2015 … Named the District 19-5A Overall MVP as a senior in 2015 … Was the District 19-5A Co-MVP as a junior and ran for 2,519 yards and 29 touchdowns on 246 carries, averaging over 10 yards per carry in 2014 … Earned First Team All-State honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association … Earned first-team all-district honors and Associated Press All-State Honorable Mention honors as a sophomore in 2013 … Rushed for 1,621 yards and 19 scores … Saw time on varsity as a freshman in 2012 … Coached by Eliot Allen at Stratford High School … Spent his freshman season at Texas A&M before transferring to Independence … Out of high school chose Texas A&M over Arizona State, Michigan, Missouri and Nebraska … Chose Arkansas over offers from Arizona State and Colorado.
Big nights by Barford, Macon lift Hogs past SC
FAYETTEVILLE — Behind 20-point efforts from senior guards Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford, Arkansas defeated South Carolina, 81-65, inside Bud Walton Arena on Tuesday night.
Arkansas’ plan early was to get the ball inside, as two of the first three buckets of the contest were lay-ups by Daniel Gafford.
After scoring eight of their first 14 points in the paint, the floor started to open up more, allowing Arkansas to hit from distance, especially Barford.
Barford scored 11 straight for Arkansas, as part of a 14-4 run to give Arkansas a 29-23 lead.
Barford led Arkansas into the locker room with the last four points of the half, finishing with 15 at the break, as the Razorbacks led the Gamecocks 43-38.
Macon scored 10 points of his own.
Arkansas forced 10 first-half turnovers, outscoring the Gamecocks 11-2 on points off of miscues.
Arkansas opened the second half with five quick points to take its largest lead of the game to that point at 10, before South Carolina scored six straight of its own to cut it back to a four-point Arkansas lead.
South Carolina scored just prior to the first media timeout of the half, then go nearly five minutes without a basket.
The Razorbacks took advantage of the Gamecocks’ drought, using an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 13.
Arkansas would use an even larger run, 13-2, to take a 17-point lead, capped off my a monster dunk by Barford off of steal.
Macon finished with a team-high 25 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
It is the sixth game in a row that Macon has eclipsed the 20-point mark, becoming the first Razorback since Corliss Williamson (1994-95) to score 20-plus points six consecutive games.
Barford followed right behind with 24 points on 7-of-16 shooting, hitting five three pointers.
It marks the fifth time this season that Barford and Macon have each scored 20-plus points in the same game this season. The Razorbacks are 5-0 in those games.
Gafford scored 11 points to go along with six rebounds and three blocks.
Arkansas forced 18 Gamecock turnovers, turning into 26 points on the other end. It is the most turnovers Arkansas has forced in conference play this season.
Arkansas remains at home for the rest of the week, as the Razorbacks host the Vanderbilt Commodores (8-15, 2-8 SEC) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Game Notes
• The win gives the Razorbacks 12-plus victories in Bud Walton Arena for the 14th consecutive year.
• Arkansas improves to 32-6 in its last 38 games inside Bud Walton Arena.
• The Razorbacks are tied for the fourth-most home wins in the country during the Mike Anderson era at 107.
• During the Mike Anderson era, Arkansas is 86-11 when scoring 80+ points, including wins in 31 of the last 32 games.
• Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon have both scored 20+ points in the same game five times this year. Arkansas is 5-0 in those games.
• Arkansas is 12-1 in Bud Walton Arena this season with a +14.1 average margin of victory, including a +112 scoring margin in the first half.
• Arkansas has won 33 consecutive games in which it has led at halftime. During Mike Anderson era, the Razorbacks are 118-7 when leading at the intermission.
• Daryl Macon is the first Arkansas player since Corliss Williamson in 1994-95 to score 20-plus points in six consecutive games.
• Daryl Macon is a perfect 26-of-26 from the free throw line in the final minute and overtime of games this season. In his career, he is 56-of-60 (.933).
Anderson liked Hogs’ effort in win over South Carolina
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson talks about the Razorbacks snapping their losing streak, getting an 81-65 win over the Gamecocks.
Barford, Macon on Razorbacks’ big win over Gamecocks
Arkansas’ Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon after accounting for 49 points together in Razorbacks’ 81-65 win over Gamecocks.
South Carolina’s Martin on his team’s struggles against Hogs
South Carolina coach Frank Martin talked with the media after Arkansas’ 81-65 win Tuesday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Razorbacks take second in spring opener at TPC
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — No. 20 Arkansas came up just short of its second victory of the year, finishing runner-up and one shot back at the 10th annual Sea Best Invitational at TPC Sawgrass.
The Razorbacks record their second straight runner-up finish and third this season, improving their overall head-to-head record to 57-12 (.826) on the year.
Arkansas opened the day with a four-stroke lead, but South Florida made a run on the back nine and led by as many of five shots before the Razorbacks came roaring back down the stretch with six birdies on the final four holes to close the gap at 5-under.
USF’s final player made a quadruple bogey on the 18th hole to give the Bulls (-6) a slim one-stroke victory.
Liberty (-1) finished third overall, while No. 11 LSU (+2) and No. 28 Tennessee (+3) rounded out the top five.
Sophomore Luis Garza posted his best finish of the year at T-5th overall, signing for rounds of 67-69-70 – 206 (-4) to lead the team.
Sophomore Mason Overstreet continued his strong play with back-to-back rounds under par to finish T-8th at 3-under.
He has finished under par in five of his six tournaments this year and has four top-10 performances on the season.
William Buhl finished in the top 15 for the fourth time in his sophomore campaign at even par, while Alvaro Ortiz tied for 27th overall at 4-over for the championship.
Tyson Reeder and Landon Ernst both finished T-53rd at 11 over.
The Razorbacks return to action in two weeks, looking to defend their title at the SunTrust Gator Invitational Feb. 17-18 at Mark Bostick Golf Club.
Shaffer gets second weekly honor from SEC
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Freshman Sarah Shaffer has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week following her 39.350 all-around performance at No. 10 Alabama, the conference office announced Tuesday.
Shaffer becomes just the third Razorback to be named Freshman of the Week twice in a season, joining Jaime Pisani (2009) and Paige Zaziski (2015).
After recording a 9.725 on vault, Shaffer recovered and scored three straight scores over 9.825, including two-consecutive 9.900’s on beam and floor to secure the all-around title in Tuscaloosa, her first of the season.
Shaffer was the only underclassmen in the SEC to score a single 9.900 on the road this past weekend.
The Tyler, Texas native was one of Arkansas’ scorers on all four events last Friday and helped the Razorbacks secure its highest road score of the season of 196.350, and its fourth-straight over 196.
Her scores of 9.900 on beam and floor set or tied new career highs on each event.
Shaffer’s Results at No. 10 Alabama
Vault: 9.725
Bars: 9.825
Beam: 9.900
Floor: 9.900
All-Around: 39.350
It’s the third weekly honor in four weeks for the Razorbacks, as Shaffer was named Freshman of the Week (Jan. 16) following Arkansas’ meet against Kentucky, and fellow freshman Sophia Carter was named Specialist of the Week (Jan. 30) following her record performance against Georgia.
Shaffer and the 10th-ranked Razorbacks return home for a top-15 matchup against No. 15 Auburn this Friday inside Barnhill Arena.
