Freshman safeties earn praise from Razorbacks coaches
FAYETTEVILLE - Old school Arkansas defensive coordinator John Chavis seems less apt to praise a still unplayed freshman than Southwest Conference era Razorbacks fans apt to praise the Texas Longhorns.
However, since Arkansas head coach Chad Morris had just lauded true freshman backup safeties Joe Foucha and Myles Mason, and Chavis himself previously on separate occasions briefly praised each, the for 23 years SEC defensive coordinator at Tennessee, LSU, Texas A&M and now Arkansas praised both rookies in the same sentences last week.
“I have to say the same thing as the head coach said,” Chavis said, smiling. “They’ve impressed us all. There’s no doubt about that.” Chavis explained why. “They’re both talented young men,” Chavis said. “They’ve been quick to learn. They’re freshman right now, and we’ve just got to keep growing them. We knew they were talented when we had the opportunity to recruit them. Certainly I think both of them will be really, really fine players in the SEC.”
On a second unit that worked extensively in last week’s final preseason sessions now shifted into game week for next Saturday’s season-opener against Eastern Illinois, Foucha of New Orleans and Mason of Trussville, Ala. worked behind first-team safeties Santos Ramirez and Kamren Curl. Ramirez reigns as the secondary’s senior leader.
Sophomore Curl moved last spring from corner to strong safety.
Curl in last year’s Coach Bret Bielema regime became the battlefield promoted starting cornerback upon starter Ryan Pulley lost for the season injured during the season opener.
Curl, 6-2, 200 of Muskogee, Okla. is a more natural safety than corner, Morris and Chavis believe and freed to play it with Pulley returned.
Redshirt freshman Montaric Brown, a safety at the preseason’s outset, and senior Britto Tutt have worked behind Pulley and sophomore Chevin Calloway at the corners.
“We’ve got four (cornerbacks) that we feel real good about, and then we’ve got some other guys that are coming,” Chavis said.
Chavis actually volunteers touting another true freshman. One he coaches personally doubling as linebackers coach.
True freshman Bumper Pool has practiced at weakside linebacker behind senior Dre Greenlaw while Grant Morgan, the third-year sophomore letterman from Greenwood, backs up junior Preseason AllSEC middle linebacker De’Jon “Scoota” Harris.
Pool, originally third-team middle ‘backer behind Harris and Morgan, seized the opportunity created by an early preseason injury to since returned third-year sophomore reserve linebacker Dee Walker.
“Bumper Pool got an opportunity to switch over and play some on the weak side, and he’s certainly shown well there,” Chavis said. “I’m excited about where Bumper Pool is right now.”
Senior Randy Ramsey, a defensive end in Chavis’ 4-3 scheme after being an outside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment that Bielema and former defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads coached last season, junior Gabe Richardson, senior Mike Taylor, and Junction City junior Jamario Bell have so emerged that outstanding junior defensive end McTelvin “Sosa” Agim moved inside needed at defensive tackle.
Nevertheless, Chavis said it’s imperative that Dorian Gerald, 6-3, 260, develop to play right away.
Junior college transfer defensive end Gerald arrived late summer with impressive credentials but not in peak condition. He had to complete his academics at College of the Canyons Junior College in California while most of the Razorbacks worked out in Fayetteville.
Can he catch up physically and to the playbook and terminology to contribute?
“Let’s just tell it like it is, he has to,” Chavis said. “You know, we don’t have a choice. He doesn’t have a choice, and he will. He’s as talented as we thought. Right now, the things that he’s hearing has been really the first time, and it’s like learning a different language. But he knows how to play football. He’s getting there, you can see it. There’s no doubt that we have to have four or five ends and he’s going to be a big part of that.”