Talent pool deepest at tight end
FAYETTEVILLE — Two former Arkansas Razorbacks tight ends — Hunter Henry and A.J. Derby — are in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos.
A third former Razorback, Chris Gragg, is a free agent after spending four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, missing all of last season recovering from a torn ACL.
Jeremy Sprinkle, who led the Razorbacks’ starting tight end last season, is expected to be picked in next week’s NFL Draft.
“We’ve had some great tight ends come through here,” said Jack Kraus, a junior tight end from Bentonville. “For us now, it’s just next man up.”
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville coaching staff is using spring practice to figure out who will play key roles among the Razorbacks’ next wave of tight ends.
There are plenty of options with Kraus, redshirt sophomores Austin Cantrell, Cheyenne O’Grady, Will Gragg and Jamario Bell, sophomores Grayson Gunter and Hayden Johnson and junior-college signee Jeremy Patton, who is
expected to enroll at Arkansas in the summer.
“I feel like our tight end group is as talented as anyone in the country,” Kraus said. “Up and down the depth chart there’s guys that can really play.
“Whoever is out on the field, they’re going to be able to make an impact.”
Tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. said it’s different having an inexperienced group.
“But it’s a lot of fun because you’re getting to coach guys that are very eager,” Lunney said. “Not that those guys weren’t before, but they see an opportunity and they know how our offense lends itself to production of the tight end.
“That’s why they came here. They see that it’s their turn to step into that role and have the opportunity to make plays in the passing game.”
The tight ends also to show they can block well enough to help power Arkansas’ run game.
“You’ve got to earn your stripes in the trenches,” Lunney said. “That’s just part of the transition in our scheme.”
Cantrell is the only returning tight end who has demonstrated so far he can produce consistently as a blocker and receiver.
Razorbacks Coach Bret Bielema said Cantrell — who had 13 catches for 120 yards last season — might be the best blocking tight end he’s ever had in 11 seasons at Wisconsin and Arkansas.
Lunney said Cantrell, 6-4 and 272 pounds, gets typecast as a blocker, but has good hands and is improving as a route runner.
“I’ve never really had a problem catching passes,” Cantrell said. “I think I can catch the ball really well.”
O’Grady, a former Fayetteville standout, is the top receiving threat among the tight ends. He had 3 catches for 63 yards last season, including 2 for 40 — with a 28-yard touchdown from Austin Allen — in the Belk Bowl when Sprinkle was suspended for disciplinary reasons.
“It just boosted my confidence and I felt a lot better,” O’Grady said of his bowl performance. “Last year I studied my playbook and I actually knew what I was doing.”
O’Grady, 6-4, said he’s up to 257 pounds and has improved his strength and blocking technique this spring.
“I can thank Coach Lunney for that because he emphasizes that every day,” O’Grady said. “He presses us and he wants us to be the best we can be.”
Kraus said O’Grady has shown huge growth mentally and physically since arriving at Arkansas.
“He’s definitely come a long way,” Kraus said. “He’s always had the talent. It’s the mental part of the game he’s had to work on, and he’s
improved on that drastically. He’s got a much mature approach as he’s gotten older.
“We’ve taken him under our wing and helped him grow, because he’s going to be a great player for us this season. We need him to win games.”
Lunney compared Krauss to a utility baseball player because of his versatility to man all the tight end spots in Arkansas’ offense whether it be blocking at the line, being split wide or going in motion.
“He can handle all that stuff, and not just do it, but do it well,” Lunney said. “Probably knows the offense better than anybody in that room.”
Gragg might be ready to play after being a scout-teamer his first two seasons.
“Will’s definitely improved,” Lunney said. “He had his best scrimmage that he’s had as a Razorback last Saturday.
“He just needs more opportunity in games and scrimmages where it’s not scripted and he can react to the call and execute it. He’s certainly progressing nicely.”
Kraus said making the transition at tight from high school to college isn’t easy, even for a highly-touted signee like Gragg.
“I think a lot of people overlook that,” Kraus said. “Coming into college in this type of offense, it’s a huge transition from high school football, where you’re just physically able to beat people.
“But at this level, everybody can compete with each other. It’s about the film study, the extra work in the weight room, the extra work on the field. All the little
things that add up, and Will’s finally starting to get that and it’s showing up on the field.”
Gunter, who played as a true freshman last season and had a 29-yard catch at Mississippi State, is limited in practice this spring after undergoing shoulder surgery, but Lunney said he should be full speed for fall camp.
Bell, who moved to tight end from defense, has the perfect build for the position, Bielema said, but needs to learn the playbook better.
Johnson, who played fullback last season, is double training at tight end. He caught 2 passes for 25 yards last season.
Lunney said Patton — the nation’s No. 1 junior college tight end at Western Arizona — remains on schedule to join the Razorbacks in the summer
“He loves the game. He’s into it,” Lunney said of Patton. “I think that’s going to help his transition.
“Obviously, he’s got to get in shape. That’ll be a process. That’s what is great about the summer rules. We can get him in shape. We can catch him up to speed.
“Certainly these guys have a leg up with the work they’ve gotten this spring, but we signed him for a reason and that’s because we think he’s really talented and he can help us now. Hopefully, he can.”
Kraus said the tight ends will be glad to welcome Patton.
“At this position group the rich get richer,” Kraus said. “We’re going to keep stocking up on good tight ends.”