Is Hogs’ 2018 QB on campus or in high school?
Chad Morris hasn’t conducted a single practice yet and everyone is already wondering who will play quarterback.
The overwhelming view of many is that it won’t be Cole Kelley. While that may be true, the fact is the quarterback in Chad Morris’ offense isn’t necessarily a running threat.
Oh, it’s nice to have someone who can make some yards when things break down, but there’s not a lot of required
At SMU last season redshirt sophomore Ben Hicks didn’t do a lot of running, averaging less than four carries a game. But if you look at some offenses that come out of the same bag as Morris’ desires, the quarterback averages 9-10 carries a game.
Some of that is not designed. He scrambles out of trouble, but there will be some option in the offense, too.
What the quarterback has to have in Morris’ offense is quick feet. Really quick feet. That is something you can count on, based on what people who do know that offense say.
That is not exactly something we’ve seen from Kelley.
In looking at who Morris has offered (that we know about) in less than a week on the job, three of the offers have been to quarterbacks: Highland Park’s John Stephen Jones (a blueshirt offer), Greenwood’s Connor Noland and Earle’s Gerry Bohanon.
All three have eye-popping stats and run an offense similar to what Morris wants to employ. Noland is more ready to step in immediately, Bohanon may be the best athlete and Jones has a lot of development potential.
Ty Storey, who’s already on campus, may have the best upside of any of the quarterbacks already there. Yes, I know Daulton Hyatt’s on campus, but he redshirted and from what limited things I’ve seen he’s not ready.
Morris’ offense won’t be the problem in 2018, I’m guessing. There are players on campus that can run his offense better than the one they were trying to run. You may not buy into that, but some of the former offensive assistants believe that.
Yes, people are concerned no one’s talking about the defensive coordinator much or even the defense in general.
That’s because football has changed. You may find this shocking.
Offense wins championships now. Defense will win you a few games.
Look at the championship teams the last few years, especially the last three national championship games.
Ohio State outscored Oregon, 42-20. Alabama outscored Clemson, 45-40. Clemson outscored Alabama, 35-31.
You’ve got to score more than 40 points a game to win a championship and you’re probably going to give up more than 30 a game.
That’s not what any traditional football thinker has in mind.
The rules favor offense. Until that changes, most coaches are going to place a major emphasis on it.
You have to score points to win these days. To do that you have to have a quarterback that makes lightning-quick decisions and have really quick feet.
Unfortunately, Cole Kelley hasn’t shown either one of those two things.
Schultz ready to compete against best at Winter Nationals
FAYETTEVILLE — Following a month-long break, freshman diver Brooke Schultz dives back into action Wednesday, competing in the one-meter and three-meter springboard events at the 2017 USA Diving Winter National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“We are excited for Brooke to compete at the Winter Nationals this week. Several Olympians will be competing and for Brooke being a USA World Championship member, it is important for her to display her current good form. She has had an amazing fall freshman campaign and we are looking forward to seeing her continue that this week at the Nationals in Greensboro representing the Razorbacks.”
Schultz has won each of her first 12 dives to start her collegiate career, by an average of 39.48 points in the 1m and 30.67 points in the 3m.
Through five meets this season, Schultz has three separate pool records (Arkansas – 1m and 3m; UCLA – 3m) and four Arkansas school records in the 1M (twice) and 3M (twice).
The Fayetteville native has won all four SEC Diver of the Week when eligible.
In her last outing at the Art Adamson Invite, Schultz scored a 362.15 in the 3m prelims, just shy of her school record to win and move on to the finals. In the finals, she broke her school record set earlier in the year, scoring a 370.95.
In the 1m prelims, she paced the field, scoring 350.60 to finish first and advance to the finals, where she won with a score of 328.15.
Records Broke This Season
Arkansas school record – 1m (twice – 369.90) and 3m (twice – 370.95)
Arkansas pool record – 1m (369.90) and 3m (366.38)
UCLA pool record – 3m (345.20)
Schedule
Wednesday, Dec. 13
1-meter prelims – 10:39 a.m.
1-meter final – 3:24 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 15
3-meter prelims – 9:00 a.m.
3-meter semi-finals – 1:10 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 17
3-meter final – 12:00 p.m.
Delay on defensive coordinator adds to intrigue
Arkansas has terminated the contracts of all the previous coaching staff except one — Barry Lunney, Jr.
That makes sense. It’s also what most new coaches do, replacing the entire staff, but keeping one holdover for some sort of continuity.
It also might be a good guess that Chad Morris has met Barry Lunney, Sr., at some point. He did spend time in Arkansas meeting with Gus Malzahn and the name probably popped up along the way.
Keeping Lunney, who is the key recruiter in the state and also has as good of a track record as anyone in developing tight ends, is probably a smart play.
Monday, reports began surfacing that Morris’ assistant head coach and running backs coach Jeff Traylor would be coming to Arkansas after the Mustangs quickly moved to hire Sonny Dykes to replace Morris.
Source: New SMU head coach Sonny Dykes will coach the Frisco Bowl as associate head coach Jeff Traylor will be leaving to take a position under Chad Morris at Arkansas
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) December 12, 2017
And, of course, that came during a separate report that had Traylor in the mix to go to Missouri as offensive coordinator.
SMU interim Jeff Traylor could end up back with Chad Morris at Arkansas, but I’m told he also has significant traction with Missouri as OC. https://t.co/8p4tvvZkfN
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 11, 2017
With the head coaching situations starting to be a little more resolved, now the assistant coach carousel starts spinning.
But the biggest question most Razorback fans has is who will be the defensive coordinator?
Could it be Brent Venables of Clemson in some sort of associate type position? That probably is a little far-fetched. It might be one of the other members of Clemson’s staff, however.
Or could Morris be talking to former Texas A&M, LSU and Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis?
Earlier today our friend Trey Schaap from The Buzz in Little Rock had a rather cryptic tweet:
There will be a new “Chief” in the state soon.
— Trey Schaap (@trey1037TheBuzz) December 11, 2017
Now that doesn’t exactly mean Chavis, but it could.
One thing that is interesting through all of this is how locked-down the hunt seems to be on the defensive coaches.
There aren’t the usual bevy of “sources” leaking anything about this, it seems.
But if it is Chavis, what’s the delay in announcing it?
It’s not like he’s tied up with anything else too pressing right now.
Broyles, Dicus named to inaugural Sugar Bowl hall
NEW ORLEANS — The Sugar Bowl announced on Monday an inaugural Hall of Fame class that includes the late Arkansas athletics director and football coach Frank Broyles as well as Razorback All-American wide receiver Chuck Dicus among the 16 legends to be honored later this month.
The first class of Hall of Famers spans seven decades of Sugar Bowl action and includes 12 players, two national championship coaches and two individuals who had the rare distinction of playing and coaching in the bowl.
The living members of the inaugural Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame class have been invited to New Orleans for the playoff semifinal set for January 1, 2018 between top-ranked Clemson and No. 4 Alabama at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Broyles served the University of Arkansas for more than five decades as a coach and athletics administrator. He coached Arkansas to four different Sugar Bowls and when adding in his experience as an AD and broadcaster, he was a part of 18 Sugar Bowls. In 19 seasons (1958-76) as head football coach, Broyles amassed a record of 144-58-5, seven Southwest Conference titles and 10 bowl bids. In 1964, Broyles led the Razorbacks to an undefeated season and a national championship.
Dicus, who played from 1968 to 1970, posted arguably the best back-to-back Sugar Bowl performances in history.
In the 1969 game, he had one of the greatest receiving days in Sugar Bowl history when he caught 12 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in a 16-2 win over Georgia.
One year later, on January 1, 1970, Dicus proved 1969 was no fluke as he caught six passes for 171 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown. His two-game totals of 19 receptions and 340 receiving yards are both tops among individuals in Sugar Bowl history.
Allstate Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame – Inaugural Class
Sammy Baugh, TCU (1936)
Raymond Brown, Ole Miss (1958)
Frank Broyles, Georgia Tech and Arkansas (1944, 62, 63, 69, 70)
Bear Bryant, Kentucky and Alabama (1951, 62, 64, 67, 73, 75, 78, 79, 80)
Chuck Dicus, Arkansas (1969, 70)
Tony Dorsett, Pitt (1977)
Bo Jackson, Auburn (1984)
Johnny Majors, Tennessee and Pitt (1956, 77, 86, 91)
Archie Manning, Ole Miss (1970)
Dan Marino, Pitt (1982)
Davey O’Brien, TCU (1939)
Major Ogilvie, Alabama (1978, 79, 80)
Pepper Rogers, Georgia Tech (1953, 54)
Claude “Monk” Simons, Tulane (1935)
Gene Stallings, Alabama (1993)
Herschel Walker, Georgia (1981, 82, 83)
Razorbacks start gymnastics season ranked in Top 20
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is ranked No. 19 in the 2018 National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) preseason coaches poll announced Monday.
The Razorbacks tallied 872 points in the poll. In 2018, Arkansas will face off against nine top-25 teams, including road matchups against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Alabama and No. 17 Missouri.
The Razorbacks were tabbed as having the second hardest schedule in the nation by Road To Nationals.
All eight Southeastern Conference teams are ranked in the top 19 in the poll, including three in the top five.
Arkansas will face all seven other SEC teams this season, including No. 3 LSU in the season opener Jan. 5, 2018 in Baton Rouge.
Senior Amanda Wellick returns after suffering a season-ending injury in January of last season and missed what would’ve been her senior season.
She has since returned to the gym and is expected to be in Arkansas’ lineup this season.
Arkansas also welcomes back NCAA Individual participants Braie Speed and Jessica Yamzon.
Yamzon earned a spot at the NCAA Championships last season as a freshman, scoring a 38.925 in the all-around.
Speed posted a 9.825 on the vault at NCAA’s, tying her third-best score from last season.
The team will be in action for a free showcase at the first Holidays With The Hogs intrasquad meet this Sunday inside Barnhill Arena.
The meet will begin at 5 p.m. with doors opening an hour before at 4. More details can be found here.
NACGC/W Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1: Oklahoma (1769 points) (33 first place votes)
2: Florida (1728 points) (10 first place votes)
3: LSU (1692 points) (7 first place votes)
4: Alabama (1584 points)
5: Utah (1544 points)
6: UCLA (1477 points)
7: Michigan (1443 points)
8: Denver (1313 points)
9: Nebraska (1214 points)
10: Kentucky (1213 points)
11: California (1201 points)
12: Oregon State (1141 points)
13: Boise State (1125 points)
14: Auburn (1119 points)
15: Washington (1114 points)
16: Georgia (1011 points)
17: Missouri (975 points)
18: Stanford (903 points)
19: Arkansas (872 points)
20: Iowa (819 points)
21: George Washington (701 points)
22: Ohio State (690 points)
23: Illinois-Champaign (609 points)
24: Southern Utah (605 points)
25: Penn State (599 points)
