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Quarterback may be most intriguing competition in Hogs’ camp

Chad Morris has used just about every cliché in the coaches’ manual about how he wants players fighting every single day for playing time for Arkansas this fall.

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Chad Morris has used just about every cliché in the coaches’ manual about how he wants players fighting every single day for playing time for Arkansas this fall.

That’s why practices that start Friday morning may have an interesting battle at the quarterback spot between a pair of graduate transfers from Texas schools in Ben Hicks and Nick Starkel.

Hicks is a fairly calm, low-key, guy who seems to always keep his cool, even with the media back during spring practices.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Starkel enjoys those energy drinks Morris has daily, reading a story by Tom Murphy at WholeHogSports.com on Wednesday.

Hicks played at SMU, a Dallas-based school that prides itself on a preppy atmosphere. Starkel played at Texas A&M, which is in College Station and was a military, guys-only, place less than 60 years ago.

Hicks played for Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock with the Mustangs for three years.

Starkel played for Kevin Sumlin and Jimbo Fisher, feels like he got screwed with the Aggies and knows the offense as well as Hicks.

The biggest difference is Starkel has a cannon for an arm while Hicks can fling it, but everybody has talked about the way the ball jumps out of his hand.

All of that means this may be one of the most interesting quarterback competitions in a long time on campus.

The guess here is Morris is going to not name a starter publicly until near the end of fall camp. I’m not holding out any hope we’ll be able to figure out anything in the 20 minutes of several practices the media will get to see.

Arkansas’ running game will probably be determined by how good the passing game is, especially early in games and the season.

If you’re expecting to suddenly go back 10 years in the way the world of college football has evolved and see the good ol’ running game set up the pass, well, it doesn’t work that way anymore.

The Razorbacks are going to have to throw the ball with a talented group of receivers that will be better than anybody’s guessing right now, at least in my opinion. The running backs may put up some pretty big numbers, but that will only be if the passing game opens up the running lanes.

Running backs coach Jeff Traylor talked Monday about how much he’s liking that he’s got the numbers this year. That’s why they welcomed T.J. Hammonds back to go along with a diverse group led by Rakeem Boyd.

Defense is going to be a question mark for the Hogs, so they may have to simply out-score some folks to win games.

How well they do that is likely going to depend on the quarterback.

And we probably won’t know who that will be, but the general thinking is Hicks will start the season and Starkel will take over sooner rather than later.

It likely is going to be interesting, regardless how it plays out.

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2024 Razorbacks Football

Thu, Aug 29vs UAPB (Little Rock)W, 70-0
Sat, Sep 7@ Oklahoma StateL, 31-39 2OT
Sat, Sep 14vs UABW, 37-27
Sat, Sep 21@ AuburnW, 24-14
Sat, Sep 28vs Texas A&M (Arl)L, 21-17
Sat, Oct 5vs TennesseeW, 19-14
Sat, Oct 19vs LSUL, 34-10
Sat, Oct 26@ Mississippi StateW, 58-25
Sat, Nov 2vs Ole MissL, 63-31
Sat, Nov 16vs TexasL, 20-10
Sat, Nov 23vs Louisiana Tech3:00 PM
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2024 High School Rankings

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll:
OVERALLRecordPtsPrv
1.Bryant (25)10-02681
2.Greenwood (2)10-02343
30Conway9-12022
4.Little Rock Parkview9-11714
5.Bentonville7-31625
6.Benton9-11486
7.Fayetteville8-21117
8.Pulaski Academy8-2898
9.Rogers7-3439
10.Joe T. Robinson9-122
Others receiving votes: Valley View 8, Mountain Home 7, Cabot 6, Little Rock Catholic 6, Shiloh Christian 6, Elkins 1, Farmington 1.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (27)10-01351
2.Conway9-11022
3.Bentonville7-3813
4.Fayetteville8-2454
5.Pulaski Academy8-2395
Others receiving votes: Rogers 3.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (27)10-01351
2.Benton9-11082
3.Mountain Home8-2623
4.Shiloh Christian7-3494
5.Little Rock Catholic9-1345
Others receiving votes: Marion 6.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (27)9-11351
2.Joe T. Robinson9-11062
3.Valley View10-0793
4.Farmington9-1484
5.Hot Springs Lakeside8-2205
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 7, Harding Academy 7, Morrilton 3.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (20)10-01261
3.Arkadelphia (5)8-2913
2.Little Rock Mills (1)10-0682
4.Warren8-2554
5.Dardanell (1)9-123
Southside Batesville10-023
Others receiving votes: Malvern 12, Gravette 5, Highland 2.
CLASS 3A
1.Bismarck (12)10-01051t
2.Fordyce (10)10-0961t
3.Prescott (1)9-1704
4.Osceola (2)8-1543
5.Booneville (1)9-1395
Others receiving votes: Mansfield (1) 23, Rivercrest 10, Rison 4, Salem 4.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (20)10-01271
2.Conway Christian (7)10-01152
3.Des Arc8-2595
4.East Poinsett Co.7-352
5.Bigelow6-4183
Murfreesboro7-3184
Others receiving votes: Mount Ida 6, Junction City 4, Cross County 3, Poyen 3.
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (27)5-0811
2.Midland9-0532
3.Cedar Ridge8-1253
Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3.

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ESPN ARKANSAS 99.5 IN FAYETTEVILLE, 95.3 IN THE RIVER VALLEY, 96.3 IN HOT SPRINGS, 104.3 IN HARRISON-MOUNTAIN HOME.