presentsthe 2013 razorbacks...already had a relationship with the new hog coaches when they were at...

2 0 1 3 R A Z O R B A C K S R E C R U I T I N G I S S U E

SPORTINGLIFEARKANSAS.COM

RECRUITINGISSUE

PRESENTSTHE

2013RAZORBACKS


2013 RAZORBACKSBYJIMHARRIS

For at least the past 30 years, the strength of Arkansas’ recruiting classes hinged on the output of talent within the Natural State, unless the head coach and his staff could work some magic beyond the state’s borders.

To wit: Maybe the best one year for Arkansas high school talent in the past decade-plus was the 2000 high school football season that produced the likes of Matt Jones and Shawn Andrews. Hence, when we look back at the best recruiting seasons under former coach Houston Nutt, the 2001 signing class for those fall 2000 prospects is right at the top.

The same can be said for Bobby Petrino’s recruiting over his five hauls. While national recruiting rankings say his 2009 signing class was his best of the five, a re-ranking of the 2008 class (featuring in-state receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, Greg Childs, Chris Gragg, Ryan Mallett’s transfer) has placed that initial signing haul at the top of all the Petrino classes — though the jury is still out on 2011-2012.

Nutt and Petrino occasionally picked up an out-of-state talent to complement the in-staters (Felix Jones, for example, in the Darren McFadden-led class of 2005 for Nutt, or 5-star cornerback Ahmad “Batman” Carroll with that 2001 class), they both needed Arkansas’ high schools producing more than a handful of SEC-quality players.

That wasn’t the case, however, in Frank Broyles’ heyday, or in the early years of Lou Holtz’ tenure.

When Broyles first beat Texas in 1960, it open the doors to such prized Lone Star State blue-chippers as Ronnie Caveness and Jerry Lamb, then Loyd Phillips and others, leading to an Arkansas domination in the 1960s. Broyles enjoyed a late resurgence in 1975, again thanks to a Texas influx recruited mostly by then-assistant Jimmy Johnson.

Holtz’ 1979 class featured Razorback legacy Billy Ray Smith Jr., who drew every big-time college coach to watch him in Plano, Texas, as well as Texan Ron Faurot and Columbia, Mo., star Gary Anderson, among the key pieces in a 34-13-1 run during the 1979-82 period.


2013 RAZORBACKS

In fact, after 1982, Arkansas didn’t crack the Top 5 again until Petrino’ 2011 team reached a zenith of No. 3 and finished the year at No. 5.

So now we come to the point where Bret Bielema attempts to piece together the wreckage left by Petrino’s spring ouster and the incompetence of interim head coach John L. Smith and his aides in the fall to do anything with the talent left them.

Also, unlike Petrino’s initial class when he took over for Nutt, Bielema encountered a down year in Arkansas talent with one of the best players in state (running back Altee Tenpenny) already firmly committed to Alabama.However, rather than keep hold of eight out-of-state commitments to the previous staff whose SEC-worthiness was in question (ultimately none would sign with a program stronger than Cincinnati of the Big East), Bielema held on to the few Arkansas commitments in place and set his coaches out to fill many other spots.

He leaned on the Florida connections of his former Wisconsin aide Charlie Partridge and new linebackers coach Randy Shannon, the former Miami player and coach. He took new offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who spent the past season at Tennessee and the previous four before that at North Carolina, from Hawaii to Florida to nail down some behemoths to help the transition up front to a run-influenced offense.

Partridge’s determination paid off with 5-star running back Alex Collins, who already had a relationship with the new Hog coaches when they were at Wisconsin and who wanted to get out of the Miami area.

But it was when 6-foot-5, 333-pound Denver Kirkland put on a Razorback cap and pledged himself to the UA that people around the country took notice.Bielema and his coaches were reaching out beyond Arkansas big-time for difference-makers.

Kirkland joined two other linemen who at one time were headed to Tennessee to join Pittman there — Honolulu’s 6-3, 320-pound Reeve Koehler and 6-foot-10 Coloradoan Dan Skipper.

Bielema’s promise to start the building of his program from inside out — focusing

http://www.sportinglifearkansas.com/arkansas-wild-ebook-order-form/


2013 RAZORBACKSon the lines early and working on the skill positions afterward — was realized.Kirkland could play immediately, Koehler may not be far behind, and when Skipper adds 40 pounds, the trio could be the foundation for a Razorback line the likes of which have not been seen in these parts in at least a decade — at least since future NFL stars Andrews and Jason Peters were the formidable blockers on the 2003 line.

The new staff’s late start required the flipping of more than handful of highly touted players who had committed elsewhere. New Jersey quarterback/safety prospect Damon Mitchell gave up a Georgia Tech offer and a late push from Boston College and Rutgers to choose Arkansas, and Melvinson Hartfield turned down the chance to be another do-everything speedster at Kansas State to be a Hog at the end. Denzell Evans, a bowling ball of a running back, had a scholarship to hometown Houston, but the lure of the SEC and Arkansas was too strong.

In the end, when Bielema was reviewing the signing class, his only laments were not being able to flip Tenpenny or add one more 4-star offensive lineman, though two who had long committed elsewhere were considering Arkansas right up to the end.

The in-state haul presented Arkansas with the best tight end prospect since D.J. Williams in Pulaski Academy’s Hunter Henry, as well as the fast, multi-skilled Drew Morgan from Greenwood.

Good news on the academic front allowed Osceola’s Korliss Marshall to command a late offer from Arkansas, where he’ll start out at safety. Two-time Class 7A state champ Fayetteville produced a trio of potential stars in quarterback Austin Allen, linebacker Brooks Ellis and safety Alex Brignoni. Forrest City defensive lineman Tevin Beachum, relatively new to the game, wowed scouts in the summer with his athleticism and earned an offer from the previous staff.

Areas of immediate need — a punter to replace the solid Dylan Breeding and more players at linebacker and defensive back — were addressed with junior college signees, while the Hogs also added more depth to the secondary with some prep help too for down the line.


2013 RAZORBACKS

The nationally stunning additions of Collins and Kirkland out of talent rich south Florida, though, were the master strokes that excited Arkansas fans the most and made many observers believe that Bielema and crew can have the Hogs back to winning sooner than expected.

Randy Shannon, Linebackers Coach, @RLS2294Does this class open the doors to more recruits from South Florida?

“Yeah, but we’ve got to get the right fit for Arkansas. There’s a lot of talent in that South Florida region, but if you don’t have the right fit for Arkansas, it won’t work. So, we’ve got to make sure we do our job and go down there, and if it’s somebody who fits for Arkansas, we’ll recruit him. If it’s not, we’re not going to recruit him.”

Chris Ash, Defensive Coordinator, @CoachChrisAshRecruiting for the Razorbacks’ needs:

“It’s hard for me to say because I don’t know much about the players here yet, but from what I’ve heard, from last season’s results, the linebackers and the DB’s needed to be addressed. What we needed to do is basically create some competition, and that’s why some of the junior college players were recruited. We have some extremely talented young players in the program that are going to be developed, and they’re going to see huge gains and big jumps in their performance on the field, but we needed some competition. I think we’ve created that.”

Charlie Partridge, Defensive Line Coach, @CoachPartridgeMore on the South Florida pipeline:

“The thing about recruiting South Florida, I’ve been fortunate enough to be doing that area for quite a while, and I feel like we have a trust factor with that group. And as long as we continue to treat our kids the right way, which I know we will, and continue to earn the trust on behalf of Arkansas, we’ll continue to have an opportunity to recruit the right kind of kids from that area. So I think it was a good start.”

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*TIQUENTION COLEMAN:

*JOHNATHAN MCCLURE:

*MYKE TAVARRES

*CARROLL WASHINGTON

DE’ANDRE COLEY

BROOKS ELLIS

AUSTIN ALLEN

TEVIN BEANUM

KE’TYRUS MARKS

DREW MORGAN

D.J. DEAN

KORLISS MARSHALL

2013 RAZORBACKS FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS

S 5’ 10 195 lbs. Mauldin, S.C. Georgia Military College/Mauldin HS

OL 6’ 4 310 lbs. Wichita, Kan. Butler CC/Wichita Heights HS

LB 6’ 2 215 lbs. Lake Oswego, Ore. College of the Siskiyous/Lakeridge HS

CB 6’ 0 175 lbs. Baltimore, Md. Hartnell (Calif.) CC/ Edmondson-Westside HS

S 6’ 1 178 lbs. Miami, Fla. Northwestern HS

LB 6’ 2 215 lbs. Fayetteville, Ark. Fayetteville HS

QB 6’ 2 210 lbs. Fayetteville, Ark. Fayetteville HS

DE 6’ 3 235 lbs. Forrest City, Ark. Forrest City HS

DT 6’ 1 288 lbs. West Palm Beach, Fla. Suncoast HS

WR 6’ 0 190 lbs. Greenwood, Ark. Greenwood HS

CB 5’ 10 180 lbs. Newton, Texas Newton HS

S 6’ 0 200 lbs. Osceola, Ark. Osceola HS

* Junior college signees

http://www.sunbeltsports.org


2013 RAZORBACKS

HUNTER HENRY

DAN SKIPPER

MARTRELL SPAIGHT

DENVER KIRKLAND

DENZELL EVANS

MELVINSON HARTFIELD

DAMON MITCHELL

ALEX BRIGNONI

SAM IRWIN-HILL

REEVE KOEHLER

ALEX COLLINS

TE 6’ 5 238 lbs. Little Rock, Ark. Pulaski Academy

OT 6’ 10 295 lbs. Arvada, Colo. Ralston Valley HS

LB 6’ 0 220 lbs. North Little Rock, Ark. Coffeyville (Kan) CC/North Little Rock HS

OG 6’ 5 320 lbs. Miami, Fla. Booker T. Washington HS

RB 6’ 0 205 lbs. Houston, Texas Bellaire HS

WR 5’ 11 183 lbs. Dallas, Texas South Oak Cliff HS

QB 6’ 2 200 lbs. Egg Harbor, N.J. Cedar Creek HS

S 6’ 1 200 lbs. Fayetteville, Ark. Fayetteville HS

P 6’ 3 215 lbs. Bendingo Australia City College of San Francisco

OG 6’ 3 325 lbs. Honolulu Hawai’i Saint Louis School

RB 5’ 11 207 lbs. Fort Lauderdale Fla. South Plantation HS

2013 RAZORBACKS FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS


2013 RAZORBACKSBIGGEST GET

Alex Collins 5’ 11, 207 lbs. RB Fort Lauderdale Fla. — Even though Collins has only played football for two seasons, he is one of the best running backs in the country. Bielema has a history of hanging his hat on a workhorse back. Collins fits that bill with a combination of speed and power.

MOST LIKELY FUTURE NFL FIRST-ROUNDER

Denver Kirkland 6’ 5, 320 lbs., DT West Palm Beach, Fla. — Kirkland already has an NFL frame, and offensive lineman are a coveted commodity in the draft. It’s also likely Kirkland could be at least a three-year starter before he finishes his collegiate career.

A PLAYER TO WATCH

Drew Morgan 6’ 0, 190 lbs., WR, Greenwood — Morgan had few initial offers and committed to Arkansas State last year, but Bielema offered him soon after arriving in Fayetteville. Morgan, who won the Landers Award given to the state’s top prep player, played multiple positions in high school, has a high football IQ, and understands how to win and work hard after playing on three state championship teams at Greenwood.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Rushed 2013 Signing Class Good Start to ‘Bielema Era’


2013 RAZORBACKS

http://www.sportinglifearkansas.com


2013 RAZORBACKS

BYNATEOLSON

Bret Bielema ran the recruiting version of the two-minute drill to perfection.

The stellar performance, pulled off in only two months, included stealing two blue-chip prospects out from under the nose of the University of Miami, and made Hog fans wonder, “What can this staff do with a full season?”

When Bielema took the job in December he wasted no time in evaluating a recruiting class that the old staff had assembled and hiring new assistants. As he carefully added aides, he cut ties with eight of the old prospects. Bielema made it clear he wasn’t interested in filling this class with bodies. He sought “uncommon men” as he mentioned in his introductory press conference. It took overtime, but he eventually landed some outstanding talent.

“First and foremost, you have to be an athlete that will fit here in Arkansas, no matter where you are coming from,” Bielema said. “I wanted those players to fit what Arkansas is, and it’s really important to me. They have to believe in the family. If I am going to get them here and talk about the Arkansas football family, I didn’t want them to not know any idea of what that meant.”

Bielema set the program up for a strong recruiting class in 2013 and stronger in the future by hiring a handful of Florida natives. During Bielema’s tenure at Wisconsin he recruited “The Sunshine State” well thanks to defensive line coach Charlie Partridge’s roots. Hiring former Miami player and head coach Randy Shannon as linebackers coach was almost the equivalent of landing a five-star recruit.

With the staff intact, they hit the road. Initially, they shored up some of the commitments they received, including Pulaski Academy All-American tight end Hunter Henry. Henry (6’ 5, 238 lbs.) wasn’t sure if he wanted to play for the run-oriented Bielema. He debated about taking a recruiting trip to Alabama. However, after researching the success of some of the Wisconsin tight end alumni that are playing in the NFL like Owen Daniels (Houston Texans) Henry affirmed his commitment.


2013 RAZORBACKS

Bielema and Co. then spread out across the country, even flying to Hawaii to land All-American offensive lineman Reeve Koehler. The staff also nabbed mammoth 3-star lineman Dan Skipper (6’ 10, 295 lbs.) from Arvada, Colo.

Partridge and running backs coach Joel Thomas set up shop in Florida and found some diamonds in the rough, while stealing two hometown recruits from Miami. The staff saw the potential in two-star Miami Northwestern cornerback De’Andre Cooley, and two-star West Palm Beach defensive tackle Ke’Tyrus Marks.

However, Partridge did the most damage securing two big-time talents. On the Monday before signing, day four-star running back Alex Collins, a longtime Miami commit, flipped to Arkansas. The Hogs had to wait an extra day for his signature as Collins’ mother ran off with his letter of intent. Despite the bizarre behavior, the 5-foot-11, 207-pounder kept his word and pushed the Hogs class nearly into the rivals.com Top 25 rankings.

On signing day, another hometown boy recruited hard by the ’Canes, Denver Kirkland, announced he was heading to Fayetteville live on ESPNU. Kirkland, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive lineman, chose the Hogs over the ’Canes and also had offers from Auburn, USC, Florida State and others.

Hog fans and recruiting experts alike marveled at the ground the new staff covered in two months. Many of the relationships, especially the Florida products, were carryovers from Wisconsin. The pledges thought enough of Partridge and Bielema to follow them to Arkansas.

After talking to several of the recruits in the 2013 and 2014 class, it’s easy to see the laid-back, easy-going approach is appreciated by players and parents. Collins may have gone to Wisconsin if Bielema stayed there. He wanted to get away from Florida, and he trusts this staff. He wasn’t deterred by the move to Fayetteville. In fact, Fayetteville may be a better fit than Madison. He raved about the hospitality he received.


2013 RAZORBACKS

Bielema didn’t want to forget about his new back yard. After hiring former Hogs quarterback and Bentonville offensive coordinator, Barry Lunney Jr., as tight ends coach, he charged the Fort Smith native to scour the state to ensure no one was left the out.

What resulted was the signing of Osceola defensive back Korliss Marshall. The three-star recruit had been evaluated as a running back but hadn’t been offered a scholarship by the old regime. He remained committed to Central Arkansas until the weekend leading up to signing day, when he ultimately pledged to the U of A.

Bielema exhausted all efforts to land North Little Rock four-star running back Altee Tenpenny. Bielema visited Tenpenny’s residence, North Little Rock High School and the restaurant where he holds a part-time job. The Razorback staff did everything possible to land the prized running back. It wasn’t enough. On the night that Collins committed, Tenpenny affirmed his commitment to Alabama via Twitter.

Still, the lengths to which the staff went, weren’t lost on North Little Rock coach Brad Bolding, and other in-state coaches. Bielema already has two in-state players secured for the 2014 Class in NLR running back Juan Day, the cousin of former Hog-star running back Cedric Cobbs, and El Dorado four-star defensive lineman Bijhon Jackson. Four-star Springdale Har-Ber defensive lineman Josh Frazier, who has an offer from Alabama, is highly interested in the Hogs. What he witnessed in the past two months may have him even more intrigued, but he wants to evaluate the staff more before he commits.

Everyone is still trying to get to know the Hogs staff. Of course, the 2013 season will go a long way in getting them acquainted. The past two months spent feverishly recruiting is just a small taste. However, if they continue at this pace the rookie staff won’t have a problem keeping up with the rugged SEC West in living rooms or on the field.


2013 RAZORBACKS

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presentsthe 2013 razorbacks...already had a relationship with the new hog coaches when they were at...

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