O’Grady factors again for Arkansas offense
FAYETTEVILLE — New Arkansas head football coach Chad Morris finally got the spark he sought from Cheyenne “C.J.” O’Grady Saturday during the team’s 24-17 loss to Texas A&M.
The junior tight end and Fayetteville graduate was in and out of the disciplinary doghouse during his three years under former coach Bret Bielema. He was redshirted in 2015 and flashed occasional brilliance the past two season.
O’Grady began the 2018 season on disciplinary suspension under new coach Morris for the first two games. He accumulated no offensive stats off of the bench in the next two games.
The 6-4, 251-pounder caught three passes from quarterback Ty Storey on Saturday for 77 yards against the Aggies (3-2, 1-1) during the annual Southwest Classic at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. His first reception went for 36 yards and ignited a 75-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter after Arkansas (1-4, 0-2) fell behind, 17-0.
“C.J. O’Grady gave us the spark,” Morris said after the game. “A great pass with Ty and it lifted us. It gave these guys confidence.”
Morris praised O’Grady on Monday and again on Tuesday leading into Tuesday’s practice in preparation for No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0). The Crimson Tide come to Fayetteville on Saturday for an 11 p.m. kickoff at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The game is set to be shown on ESPN (Resort Channel 30).
“It was good to see C.J. O’Grady coming in and having success and providing a spark,” Morris said Monday. “That was much needed. We all know he’s extremely talented, but it’s the little things. He focused a lot on the little things last week and, obviously, that result continued to pay off during Saturday’s game.”
Senior linebacker and fellow Fayetteville graduate Dre Greenlaw says the little things have always factored into O’Grady’s success since high school.
“He’s definitely turned the corner in the last couple of weeks,” Greenlaw said on Saturday. “He’s made huge improvements. I thank him for that, for coming on and being part of the team. Getting himself right and having a big game like he did today.
“I talked to him afterwards. He was sitting there crying, but I told him, ‘We need you.’ I think he understands that. Hopefully, we won’t have more problems out of him.”
Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said he had an inkling all week that O’Grady might post a breakthrough game.
“This last week was his best week from Monday through Saturday,” Craddock said. “And that’s something that we have encouraged C.J. on. That he’s got to be more consistent being that guy, a guy more mature. His play on Saturday was a direct reflection on his week and how that led to the game.”
“That was as much positive off the field as on,” Craddock added. “He did everything last week that was on the positive report at study hall. “All those things lead up to doing the right thing on the field. You do the right things off the
field it’s a direct correlation on the field.”
Of course, one great week does not a season make.
“I’m not ready to put him on a pedestal just yet,” Craddock said. “I’m hoping he’ll do the right things because, obviously, you’ve seen what kind of a weapon he can be with the ball in his hands. He’s a guy that we’ve got our arm around.
“We’ve got to kind of pull him through a knothole and make sure we get him to the game on Saturdays and make sure he’s doing the right things off the field in all the right ways so that will correlate on the field as well.”
Starting cornerback Chevin Calloway also announced Tuesday he is withdrawing from the team. The sophomore has not participated in any games or practices since the first practice following Arkansas’ second game of the season, a 34-27 loss at Colorado State (1-4, 0-1 Mountain West Conference).
Calloway lettered as a backup in 2017 and started the first two games this season. Morris said Calloway has “some personal family issues that he’s dealing with and we’re helping him through.”
Morris said on Monday Calloway was still with the team. Calloway posted on Instagram on Tuesday that he is “taking a step back” from football.
“The situations I’m dealing with is a lot bigger than football,” Calloway posted. “Through prayer and a lot of thinking, taking a step back from ball is what’s best for me. My choice was either dealing with this unhealthy situation [and] making a sacrifice living up to other people’s expectations or listening to my heart, gut, spirit of discernment and what I know is best for me despite others opinions.”
Britto Tutt started in place of Calloway in Arkansas’ 44-17 non-conference loss to North Texas (4-1, 0-1 Conference USA), but he has since been injured and sidelined. Sophomore Jarques McClellion opposite of Ryan Pulley on Saturday against A&M.