FUTURE RAZORBACKS celebrate wild victory over Rebels.
Several Arkansas commitments probably reacted much like Razorbacks fans during and after the Hogs’ wild and improbable 53- 52 overtime victory over Ole Miss on Saturday.
No one had a more awkward situation than Arkansas tight end commitment Grayson Gunter, who plays at Madison Central in Mississippi. His father, Bubba, lettered for the Rebels in 1988- 1989 as an outside linebacker.
Gunter said the family has had Ole Miss season tickets since his father’s playing days ended.
“It was definitely kind of strange being in Oxford and having Ole Miss playing somebody else and rooting against Ole Miss,” Gunter said.
He stood out among his stadium section that was dominated by Ole Miss fans.
“I did have my Arkansas gear on,” Gunter said. “I tried not get too excited whenever we got big plays, but sometimes I couldn’t help myself.”
Gunter committed to the Razorbacks over 12 other scholarship offers, including ones from Mississippi State, Arkansas State, Tulane, Louisiana Tech and Memphis. The Rebels have also shown interest and kept in touch with him.
Trying to be respectful and restrained around the Ole Miss crowd went out the window on the wild fourth- and- 25 play in overtime that saw Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry lateral the ball to running back Alex Collins, who converted the first down, and the run by Hogs quarterback Brandon Allen for the game- winning two- point conversion.
“I was probably the only one cheering out of all the whole section sitting around me,” Gunter said. “It was dead silent, and I was the only one going crazy.”
Smackover receiver Jordan Jones, another Arkansas commitment, said he also got emotional while watching the fourth down play in overtime.
“I was yelling at the TV,” he said. “I got up when [ Collins] got about 15 of the 25 yards.”
After the play, the CBS affiliate in Monroe, La., switched to the Alabama- LSU game and that caused Jones to miss Arkansas’ final touchdown in overtime.
“My ESPN alert came in and said, ‘ Touchdown pass to Morgan,’ ” Jones said. “So I knew we were like down one and we were about to tie it. And thankfully I flipped to the SEC Network and I saw the end when Brandon was diving into the end zone.”
Arkansas offensive line commitment Jake Heinrich of Urbandale, Iowa, said he had a hard time staying in one place during the game.
“I started out downstairs watching on the big TV in the basement by myself and then I went upstairs after the half,” Heinrich said.
Heinrich’s father, Don, left the house after halftime.
“My dad was all nervous, too,” Heinrich said. “He went to the gym and he was on the treadmill watching the game.”
Heinrich said he was downstairs when the Hogs won the game and was headed upstairs to celebrate with his mother and brother.
“I was running around the corner and dang near whiffed on the first step and almost face- planted right there,” Heinrich said.
Heinrich said he was yelling and screaming during and after the game.
“Oh yeah, they’ve been making the games interesting between this and the Auburn game,” he said.
The unlikely fourth- and- 25 conversion was gut- wrenching, he said.
“Right before the snap, I closed my eyes and then I opened my eyes and saw Hunter going down and I was like, ‘ Oh geez, here we go,’ ” Heinrich said. “And then he flips up into nowhere and somewhere Alex comes up with it and runs for another 30 yards.”
Arkansas athlete commitment T. J. Hammonds of Pulaski Robinson said he was pretty animated throughout the game.
“I was dancing, jumping on the bed, screaming, yelling and hollering,” Hammonds said. “I was yelling at the top of my lungs until I couldn’t yell anymore. I got a headache afterwards, but I really don’t care.”
Hammonds said he wasn’t
too confident about the Hogs’ chances when Henry heaved the ball backward as he was being tackled.
“When he threw the ball back, I was like, ‘ Are you serious?’ ” Hammonds said. “Then Alex picked the ball up and he just left everybody.”
Hammonds and the other commitments were involved in a group text and communicated throughout the game.
“I was sending videos and snapchats of me just yelling,” Hammonds said. “It was fun.”
Hammonds said he has become a fan of Arkansas receiver Drew Morgan, who leads the SEC with nine receiving touchdowns.
“That Drew Morgan guy is just a beast,” Hammonds said. “He just came out of nowhere and just putting in work. He’s really good and he’s going to be there next year, so that’s really good.”
He also said he approved of Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema’s decision to go for the victory instead of the tie.
“I enjoyed seeing Coach B taking a big chance and going for the two to win the game,” Hammonds said.