Arkansas coaches seek consistency from WRs
After some official preseason practices that start Friday, Arkansas offensive coordinator Joe Craddock would like to apply a “consistent” adjective to the Arkansas Razorbacks receivers he seldom applied last spring.
“Showed some flashes, but he’s got to be more consistent.”
“We didn’t get what we wanted out of him in the spring.”
“Did some really good things at times, but he’s got to be more consistent.”
“It’s just about consistency and mastering his craft.”
Those were comments Craddock made in May about various Razorback receivers after the allotted 15 spring practices.
Only two consistently rose above the inconsistent category.
One you would expect. Jared Cornelius, returning as a fifth-year senior with the most career catches among this season’s roster, impressed new head coach Chad Morris and Craddock in the spring even while unable to go all out.
The Shreveport Evangel alum returns because a season-ending torn Achilles tendon three games into season allowed him a medical hardship to return in 2018. He was on a precautionary limited practice no full contact status last spring.
Cornelius’ versatility as a punt returner and receiver with running back abilities was obvious. So was his leadership in the locker room and academics, having already completed his sports management degree in December.
“When he did get out there one-on-one he showed what he could do,” Craddock said. “Those one-on-ones he showed some things pretty good. I know he’s got the voice of the room. He just has to got to keep working after the surgery from that injury.”
Cornelius’ official long returns were 43 and 35 yards, but several touchdowns were called back by penalties. He has 79 career catches for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as 25 carries for 188 yards and three touchdowns.
The other receiver consistently praised for consistency surprised the new staff as a walk-on.
Tyson Morris, the 6-1, 200-pound, Fayetteville High School graduate and son of former Nolan Richardson-era Razorbacks basketball forward Isaiah “Butch” Morris, emerged from redshirt freshman scout team obscurity last fall to excel in every spring scrimmage.
Morris caught two passes, one for a 60-yard touchdown, in the first spring scrimmage. He caught two passes for 19 yards in the next scrimmage and finished the Red-White spring game at Little Rock with four catches for 58 yards.
“Tyson had a great spring,” Craddock surmised. “A walkon kid, but he really bought in early on and did some really good things and learned the offense and knows what to do. He was running with the twos a lot of times.”
If the others can more consistently play to their spring peaks, Craddock believes they will have opportunities opened by the running game he foresees from running backs Devwah Whaley, Chase Hayden, T.J. Hammonds, Maleek Williams and incoming junior college transfer Rakeem Boyd.
“With our running game, receivers are going to get some one-on-one opportunities down the field,” Craddock said. “If we can get that done he could have some big plays.”
While preseason practice starts Friday, establishing a recruiting “footprint” never stops.
Preceding Arkansas coach Bret Bielema often recruited in Florida. Morris said during the Southeastern Conference’s football media days in Atlanta that his time as an offensive coordinator at Clemson in South Carolina helped him develop relationships throughout the southeast, but that’s not the “footprint” Arkansas can rely upon.
“You have to look at where our footprint has to be,” Morris said. “You look at the storied program of Arkansas when they won you won with Arkansas kids. On an average year in the last 10 years, three to four to five (Arkansas) kids come out that are SEC caliber players. You have to get those kids first. Then you dip into the Memphis and Tulsa areas as part of the footprint but most important you have to get a roster with Texas kids on it.
“My relationships throughout that state in Dallas and Houston and east Texas will be a big priority for us. And Louisiana with the relationships that (defensive coaches) John Chavis, Ron Cooper and Steve Caldwell have, that’s where the footprint has to be.”
Signing outside the footprint seems Morris’ rare exception.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t get out of it on occasion” Morris said. “But there better be a relationship (with a family member or high school coach) early on. You can’t lose focus on what that footprint is.”