Arkansas
Razorbacks
| 2011 Record:
11-2
Sep. 3 Missouri State W 51-7
Sep. 10 New Mexico W 52-3
Sep. 17 Troy W 38-28
Sep. 24 at Alabama L 38-14
Oct. 1 Tex A&M (Dallas) W 42-38
Oct. 8 Auburn W 38-14
Oct. 15 OPEN DATE
Oct. 22 at Ole Miss W 29-24
Oct. 29 at Vanderbilt W 31-28
Nov. 5 South Carolina W 44-28
Nov. 12 Tennessee W 49-7
Nov. 19 Mississippi St W 44-17
Nov. 25 at LSU L 41-17
Cotton Bowl
Jan. 6 Kansas State W 29-16
2010 CFN Prediction: 8-4
2010 Record: 10-3
Sept. 4 Tenn Tech W 44-3
Sept. 11 ULM W 31-7
Sept. 18 at Georgia W 31-24
Sept. 25 Alabama L 24-20
Oct. 2 OPEN DATE
Oct. 9 at Texas A&M W 24-17
Oct. 16 at Auburn L 65-43
Oct. 23 Ole Miss L 38-24
Oct. 30 Vanderbilt W 49-14
Nov. 6 at South Carolina W 41-20
Nov. 13 UTEP W 58-21
Nov. 20 at Miss St W 38-31 2OT
Nov. 27 LSU W 31-23
Sugar Bowl
Jan. 4 Ohio State L 31-26
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class
Top 5 Arkansas Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com
1. RB Jonathan Williams
5-11, 205, Scout.com 20th ranked, four-star running back. Williams has solid size and has good speed. He does a great job of hitting the hole hard, is even better at cutting back and finding the holes in the defense. Shows some surprisingly good shake in the open field for a bigger back and is more than willing to finish off his runs, planting defenders on their backs.
2. DE Deatrich Wise
6-5, 220, Scout.com 31st ranked, four-star defensive end. He is a grimy, hard-working defensive end with the reach and tenacity of a top-tier baller. He fires off the ball quickly and is excellent putting pressure on the quarterback or tracking down ball carriers. Big long, strong kid, with hands like vise grips. Will need to add at least 20 pounds but the tools are all there. He will pursue plays until the whistle blows.
3. DE Taiwan Johnson
6-3, 230, Scout.com 34th ranked, four-star defensive end. Looking for a pass rush? Well, Johnson is your guy and the Arkansas coaches have landed one of the best in the Lone Star State. Big factor here is that Johnson is not a loose cannon in pursuit of quarterbacks. He plays under control and uses great technique. He works well with his hands to get off the blocks. Johnson runs fast for a player his size and once he makes contact, he will lay the wood.
4. WR Keon Hatcher
6-1, 195, Scout.com 46th ranked, four-star receiver. Hatcher is a talented physical specimen. He is big and can really run. It takes him little time to hit full stride and he gets out of his breaks low and with authority. He can make plays down the field, but is best working defenders over with nasty route running abilities. He can beat you to the outside or he can work you over in the middle of the field.
5. WR Courtney Gardner
6-3, 215, Scout.com four-star JUCO transfer.
The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... The Hogs are loaded just about everywhere, but they need to start stockpiling numbers at running back for down the road and have to keep feeding the receiving corps with more and more options. An upgrade at corner isn’t a must this year, but it will be next season, and finding a few pass rushers is a priority. Overall, no matter what the position, Arkansas needs as many great prospects as possible to keep up the arms race with the other star programs in the West.
Team Concerns For 2012: Receivers, receivers, receivers. JUCO transfer Courtney Gardner could be and instant star, while Jalen Cobb and Keon Hatcher are studs for down the road. Bobby Petrino wanted running backs, and he’s getting them, led by Jonathan Williams out of Texas. It’ll be strength in numbers for the defensive ends with Deatrich Wise and Taiwan Johnson leading a terrific group.
Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season:
The Hogs just so happened to be in the toughest division in college football and lost to the nation’s two best teams. Under Bobby Petrino, though, the talent level is getting to the point where it’s time to knock off an Alabama or LSU and get to the SEC title. This could be the team to do it if a few playmaking receivers are found early on to replace Jarius Wright and Joe Adams. Most of the offensive line returns, to protect quarterback Tyler Wilson, who provided a big boost by deciding to return for his senior season. If Knile Davis is healthy and ready to go, the running game could be the SEC’s best.
The defense loses a few heart-and-soul types like end Jake Bequette and linebackers Jerry Franklin and Jerico Nelson, but just enough key players return to prevent a disastrous drop-off. Unlike other SEC teams, Arkansas will have the offense to make up for any defensive issues.
2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 16. That Class Was Heavy On ... Offensive tackle. Last year’s class was the big one for Bobby Petrino, but this one isn’t all that far off. The defensive line got an infusion of talent with JUCO transfer tackle Robert Thomas might be an anchor right away, and the back seven got some help with safety Kelvin Fisher and corner Tevin Mitchel sure to be stars in a few years. The key to the class was the tremendous haul of receivers, including Quinta Funderburk and Keante Minor, and the tackles with seven prospects including Brey Cook, who’s destined to be an all-star, and promising Andrew Peterson and Mitch Smothers.
2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 31. That Class Was
Heavy On ... Talent. Last
season Bobby Petrino's class was heavy on live
bodies to create more competition and to build
better depth, especially on the defensive line. This
year's class was about upgrading the overall talent
level with the main focus on receiver. Marquel Wade
and Julian Horton should thrive in Petrino's system,
while QB Jacoby Walker will get a few years to groom
to be ready to be in the mix by 2012. Calvin Barnett
is the 305-pound defensive tackle prospect to work
the line around, Brad Hefley will end up being the
leader of the linebacking corps, and Eric Bennett is
a nice looking corner.
2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 23. That Class Was
Heavy On ... defensive backs. The defensive line got a ton of bodies, but few of them were standout prospects. The offense got more players to fit the Bobby Petrino style with the line getting the biggest boost. However, the coaching staff mostly loaded up in the secondary with six nice prospects led by corner Darius Winston and JUCO transfers Anthony Leon, Rudell Crim and Andru Stewart.
Cotton Bowl
Arkansas 29 … Kansas State 16
- CFN Thoughts on the Cotton
Arkansas: The Hogs outgained Kansas State 129 rushing yards to 87 … Tyler Wilson completed 20-of-31 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns …Broderick Green ran seven times for 60 yards. … Greg Childs caught five passes for 48 yards, and Jarius Wright caught three passes for 88 yards with a touchdown and returned three punts for 62 yards and a score. … Jerry Franklin made eight tackles. … Jerico Nelson made seven tackles with an interception for 61 yards.
Kansas State: The Wildcats held on to the ball for 33:51. … Collin Klein completed 16-of-30 passes for 173 yards and a score with a pick, and he led the team with 24 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown. … Sheldon Smith caught five passes for 50 yards. … David Garrett led the team with ten tackles with two tackles for loss. … Adam David made four tackles with two sacks and three tackles for loss.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Explosive returner Joe Adams had one last big highlight to help No. 7 Arkansas end a record-tying season in tall Cotton.
All-SEC quarterback Tyler Wilson was well short of the record passing performance he had earlier this season at Cowboys Stadium, but did throw two touchdown passes after Adams' fourth punt return for a TD and the Razorbacks beat No. 11 Kansas State 29-16 in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.
The Razorbacks (11-2) matched a school record with their 11th victory. Their only losses were to No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama, their SEC West rivals who will play for the BCS national championship Monday night.
"Joe Adams has made big plays for us all year long," Wilson said. "We were struggling offensively until he sparked us. Great players make big plays, and he definitely got his."
Adams' 51-yard return early in the second quarter gave the Razorbacks a 10-0 lead before they even gained a first down. It was the first punt return for a touchdown in the Cotton Bowl in 51 years.
"It was another one of those where you just go, Wow!" coach Bobby Petrino said. "You could see when he made the catch he had in mind what he was going to do. We got some good blocks. ... Joe showed great acceleration, made another spectacular play for us."
Adams matched the SEC single-season record with his four punt return TDs. The senior receiver, who had five catches for only 22 yards Friday, was the only FBS player this season with multiple punt returns for TDs, along with rushing and receiving scores.
After fielding the ball near midfield, Adams took a few steps back before squirting through a gap past several defenders. He got all the way to the opposite sideline and got his path cleared by one last block from Javontee Herndon downfield.
"It obviously made a major difference," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "We knew he's a talented player. We knew that he could make you miss him. .... The players were probably tired of me talking about being able to contain Joe Adams and not let him bounce the ball outside. Sure enough he bounced it outside."
The last punt return for a touchdown in the Cotton Bowl also was by a Razorback, when Lance Alworth had a 49-yard return in a 7-6 loss to Duke in the 1961 game.
The only other 11-win seasons for the Razorbacks were by the Lou Holtz-coached team in 1977 and coach Frank Broyles' only undefeated season at Arkansas in 1964. They won 10 games last season with a Sugar Bowl appearance.
"To get this program consistently in the top 10, in BCS bowl games, great bowl games like the Cotton Bowl, hopefully in the top five in the country with 11 wins, it means so much to me personally, and to this group of seniors," defensive end Jake Bequette said. "It's just been such a fun ride."
A member of that 1964 team that won the Cotton Bowl over Nebraska was Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys owner who attended the game in his $1.2 billion stadium that opened in 2009. He was part of a loud crowd of 80,956.
Kansas State also was trying to match its school record with 11 victories, but still finished a surprising season in Snyder's second Wildcats turnaround. K-State won 11 games six times during a seven-year span in Snyder's first tenure before his three-year retirement, and almost reached that mark again in his third season back.
Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein tied the Big 12 record with his 27th rushing touchdown this season and matched the FBS record for quarterbacks.
After being held to 15 yards on 12 carries in the first half, Klein finished the opening drive of the third quarter with a 6-yard TD run that got the Wildcats to 19-16. That came after Klein had a 15-yard run on the previous play.
That matched the Big 12 record for rushing touchdowns held by 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams of Texas. The only other FBS quarterback with 27 rushing touchdowns in a season was Ricky Dobbs for Navy in 2009.
Klein finished with 42 yards on 24 carries, while completing 16 of 30 passes for 173 yards.
The Razorbacks played their second game at Cowboys Stadium this season, three months after they overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to beat Big 12 team and future SEC foe Texas A&M 42-38.
In the return trip, Arkansas led the Big 12 opponent at halftime and had mostly throttled Klein and the Kansas State offense. It was the first game for new Razorbacks defensive coordinator Paul Haynes, who was hired in December after Willy Robinson resigned.
Wilson, who threw for a school-record 510 yards in that Oct. 1 game at Cowboys Stadium, was 20 of 31 for 216 yards against Kansas State. Jarius Wright, who had 13 catches for a record 287 yards against the Aggies, and three catches for 88 yards and a 45-yard TD in the Cotton Bowl.
The Cotton Bowl was the only non-BCS game with both teams in the top 15 of the Bowl Championship Series standings - Arkansas came in sixth, Kansas State eighth. It also is the only bowl featuring the SEC vs. the Big 12, the top two conferences in the BCS computer rankings.
The Razorbacks didn't even get a first down until 12 1/2 minutes left in the first half when Dennis Johnson opened a drive with a 28-yard run. That drive ended with the second of Zach Hocker's three field goals, a 22-yarder.
Arkansas led 19-0 when Wilson threw a 45-yard TD pass to Jarius Wright with 4 minutes left in the first half.
Kansas State, which has lost its last four bowl games since beating Arizona State in the 2002 Holiday Bowl, blocked the extra point and Nigel Malone returned it for two points.
It was 19-9 at halftime after Klein threw a 3-yard TD pass to Andrew McDonald with 26 seconds left in the first half. That score was set up after Wilson was sacked by Adam Davis and fumbled at the Razorbacks 13.
Wildcats defensive end Meshak Williams was injured at the end of the first half, when he made helmet-to-helmet contact with Emmanuel Lamur when both were trying to tackle Wilson, who put his head down to avoid the hit.
Williams remained down on the field for several minutes being tended to by medical personnel and then placed on a stretcher. He gave a thumbs-up signal when being placed on a cart, then when he was being driving off the field extended his right arm high and flashed a Wildcat sign.
Kansas State officials said after the game that Williams had already been released from the hospital and was going back to the hotel to join the team. They said he was moving all extremities and doing OK.
Arkansas led 3-0 after Bequette sacked Klein and forced a fumble, setting up Hocker's 26-yard field goal.
Tenarius Wright, the Razorbacks' other defensive end, jumped over a pile to recover the loose ball at the Kansas State 13.
Klein's fumble came on a second-and-33 play after a sequence that started with his 20-yard run to inside Arkansas territory being wiped out by an illegal shift penalty. He was sacked on the next play before a holding call and a false start pushed the ball all the way back to the 20.
"We got off to an awfully bad start and really couldn't overcome the damage that we did," Snyder said. "And most of it was pretty obvious."
Nov. 25 at LSU 41 … Arkansas 17
CFN Analysis: Tyler Wilson had a better game than his stats. While 60 of his 207 passing yards came on one play, and he finished 14-of-22 with a touchdown and a pick, he held up well under the pressure and without a ground game to help the cause. … The running game couldn’t find any sort of a groove finishing with 47 yards and averaging 1.7 yards per carry. … The Hogs didn’t take advantage of the early field position as well as they should’ve. They kept the Tigers pinned deep early on and had several chances to take control of the game, but it didn’t happen. One 92-yard Tyrann Mathieu punt return later, and it was 14-14 and all the momentum was gone. … There are worse things than being blown out by Alabama and LSU. Arkansas still might be the No. 3-ranked team in the nation behind those two.
Nov. 19 at Arkansas 44 … Mississippi State 17
CFN Analysis: Beat LSU, play for the national title. It’s not a sure thing, but after all the big upsets and after all the breaks, the Hogs are up to No. 3 and in a position to take the season by storm. … On a seven game winning streak, the team is getting better at just the right time, destroying Tennessee and Mississippi State by a combined score of 93 to 24 over the last two weeks, while hanging 44 points on the board or more in the last three games. … Tyler Wilson was flawless, completing 32-of-43 passes for 365 yards and three scores, partly because the line did a nice job of keeping him upright. There was no need to force any passes. … Is the defensive line good enough to hold up against the pounding of the LSU offensive line? It stuffed the MSU ground attack, allowing just 84 yards and a score.
Nov. 12 at Arkansas 49 … Tennessee 7
CFN Analysis: You won’t see a better punt return for a score than the amazing play from Joe Adams in the first quarter. He put the game away, and then Dennis Johnson buried it with his 71-yard dash. … Arkansas got through the midseason blahs against the mediocre part of the schedule and is now playing like everything is humming. Tennessee might not be all that great, and it doesn’t have much of an offense, but this was what the Hogs are supposed to do to a struggling team. … It’s going to go unnoticed, but punter Dylan Breeding had a great game averaging over 49 yards on his three kicks and putting the bad UT offense inside the 20 twice. … Can the Hogs maintain their focus? Everyone will want to talk about the LSU game, but Mississippi State is fighting for its life. It’ll be Senior Day for Arkansas; the team will show up.
Nov. 5 at Arkansas 44 … South Carolina 28
CFN Analysis: That’s the Arkansas offense that’s been plodding along over the last few weeks. There were way too many drops, and Tyler Wilson threw a bad pick-six to Devin Taylor, but the passing game came up with a few huge plays, including a gamebreaking 68-yarder to Jarius Wright, and Dennis Johnson did enough on the ground to balance things out a bit. Now the SEC West title, or at least a share of it, is on the table. The defense was aggressive enough when it had to be to keep the middling South Carolina offense down, allowing just 207 yards of total offense, but it took way too long to put the game away. Beating Tennessee and Mississippi State at home shouldn’t be a problem if the offense can keep playing at this level, and then comes the showdown of showdowns against LSU to close out the regular season.
Oct. 29 Arkansas 31 … at Vanderbilt 28
CFN Analysis: Yeeeeesh. Arkansas struggled to get the offense going, but Tyler Wilson got hot just in time to move the ball in the second half. Closing, though, was a big problem, settling for too many Zach Hocker field goals and needing to rely on Jerry Franklin’s 94-yard fumble return for a score to turn the game around. The defense might have been ripped to shreds at times, giving up 462 yards to a horrendous offense, but it held firm over the final 20 minutes of the game. It might have taken missed chip shot field goal to escape, and this was a second straight tough win over a bad team – struggling to beat Ole Miss last week – but now the Hogs get three straight games at home, starting with South Carolina next week, to tune up for LSU.
Oct. 22 Arkansas 29 … at Ole Miss 24
CFN Analysis: It might have taken a while to wake up, but Dennis Johnson saved the day with a 52-yard run late in the first half to turn things around and the defense picked up its play in the second half. Call it an unfocused effort, or call it sloppy, but Tyler Wilson completed fewer than half his passes and was all over the place on too many key throws. He might have run for two short scores, but he was bailed out by Johnson and the ground game that took over when needed. There’s no need to panic after the tougher-than-expected win, but next week an easy win over Vanderbilt is a must to have any dreams of rolling through the finishing kick … including LSU.
Oct. 8 at Arkansas 38 … Auburn 14
CFN Analysis: The much-maligned defense that got steamrolled over by Alabama and Texas A&M showed up when it needed to the most. Auburn might have run for 291 yards, and Michael Dyer was great, but the ground game didn’t control the game enough to overcome the big plays from the Hog offense and another strong game from Tyler Wilson. On fire, Wilson couldn’t miss for a long stretch to take a close game and put it away, but after giving up 14 first quarter points, this game is about the Hog D. Jerry Franklin came up with 5 tackles and Alonzo Highsmith made 12, while Tramain Thomas was fantastic with nine tackles and two picks. The offense only lost one turnover, and that’s a big, big deal on the road against Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. The only way the Hogs lose those two is by giving it away.
Oct. 1 Arkansas 42 … Texas A&M 38
CFN Analysis: So Arkansas can’t stop the run. So there’s little running game to count on. So it took an epic comeback after getting down big. The Hogs showed that they really can crank out yards like last year as Tyler Wilson was red hot from the start and didn’t stop with a 30-of-51, 510-yard, three touchdown day, while Jarius Wright just moved up a round in the NFL Draft with 13 catches for 281 yards and a score. Texas A&M is great and has tremendous weapons, but still, this is the second straight week the Hogs weren’t even close against the run. This week, though, unlike the Alabama game, Arkansas came up with some nice plays late to turn the tide. With Auburn up next, the Hog offense should continue to roll, but the run defense will be in for another long day if the front four doesn’t hold up better and if the linebackers can’t come up with more big stops.
Sept. 24 at Alabama 38 … Arkansas 14
CFN Analysis:
The Hogs just didn’t have the offense. Tyler Wilson had to keep throwing after the running game was getting stuffed and Bama had a lead, and then everything fell apart. The Tide will kill one dimensional teams, and this week, that was Arkansas. The defensive line didn’t get too much pressure into the backfield, but it did enough to bother the tempo and the rhythm of a Hog offense that managed to convert just 4-of-15 third down chances and had no groove in the second half. Next week, will be more to Arkansas’ liking, getting to bomb away against Texas A&M.
Sept. 17 at Arkansas 38 ... Troy 28
CFN Analysis: If it’s possible to go through the motions and come up with 454 yards in an easy win, Arkansas did it. The pass protection was spotty, but Ronnie Wingo ran well with 109 yards and two touchdowns and Tyler Wilson held tough with 303 yards and two scoring passes. However, the late pick six made the game more interesting than it should’ve been, and the defense had too many problems against the Troy passing game. Are there holes, or was this a case of looking ahead to Alabama? It might have been a little bit of both, and the Hogs need to be better on the lines to have a shot against the Tide and Texas A&M over the next few dates.
Sept. 10 at Arkansas 52 … New Mexico 3
CFN Analysis: Alright, enough of the tune ups. The Hogs won their first two games by a combined score of 103-10, and while it’s nice to get all the key players some live reps, the team is ready to be tested. That’s not going to happen against Troy. Tyler Wilson hasn’t had to bomb away so far, and Brandon Mitchell was more than fine when he came on in garbage time. It’s been running back by committee in the blowouts, and going forward, there should be a good rotation of backs with the coaching staff able to go with the hot hand. The D needs to force more takeaways, and the offense hasn’t been careful enough with the ball so far, but this has been a near-perfect start.
Sept. 3 at Arkansas 51 … Missouri State 7
CFN Analysis: To nitpick in a 51-7 win, the Arkansas running game was awful. How was the ground attack going to go on without Knile Davis? The deep group of backs struggled with Ronnie Wingo and Kody Walker each averaging under four yards per carry, and while it didn’t matter, it would’ve been nice to show that it’s business as usual without Davis. Tyler Wilson and Brandon Mitchell did whatever they wanted, with Mitchell completing 10-of-11 passes for 104 yards and a score, and 12 different receivers got involved. The defense had no problem against the Missouri State attack, even though there wasn’t as much pressure in the backfield as the coaching staff might have wanted. It was a layup, and now against New Mexico and Troy, the running game has to start working or else forget about it any production on the ground at Alabama in the SEC opener.
The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Offensive tackle. Last year’s class was the big one for Bobby Petrino, but this one isn’t all that far off. The defensive line got an infusion of talent with JUCO transfer tackle Robert Thomas might be an anchor right away, and the back seven got some help with safety Kelvin Fisher and corner Tevin Mitchel sure to be stars in a few years. The key to the class was the tremendous haul of receivers, including Quinta Funderburk and Keante Minor, and the tackles with seven prospects including Brey Cook, who’s destined to be an all-star, and promising Andrew Peterson and Mitch Smothers.
Five Arkansas Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com
1. OT Brey Cook
6-7, 310, Scout.com’s 6th ranked offensive tackle. Prototype offensive tackle size, Cook actually drive blocks like an interior lineman. He has good flexibility and can get his pads low quickly despite his height. Not content with merely occupying his defender, Cook likes to finish his blocks and take his man all the way to the ground. Chops his feet well while engaged to a defender giving him a good base to maintain his block, making him a good pass blocker as well.
2. S Kelvin Fisher
6-0, 180, Scout.com’s 15th ranked safety. Fisher is a versatile athlete that has the ability to play multiple positions in college. Could play RB, S, CB or WR. Is being recruited as an ATH. Very shifty player on offense that has great balance and body control. On D, is a ball hawk at safety and roams the deep middle well. Has very good ball skills and instincts. Is not afraid to stick his nose in and make tackles. Does not have tha greatest size.
3. WR Quinta Funderburk
6-3, 200, Scout.com’s 35th ranked receiver. A big, strong receiver who’s an acrobat in the air adjusting to the ball. Has terrific body control and boxes out smaller defensive backs like he’s going for a rebound. More than just a jump ball specialist though, Funderburk runs crisp routes and is capable of breaking a tackle and running over, around, and by potential tacklers. A tough receiver that will cut inside looking for extra yards instead of hunting for the sidelines
4. OT Andrew Peterson
6-5, 255, Scout.com’s 26th ranked offensive tackle. Peterson became one of the top prospects in the state of Texas after coming in to his own on the field as a senior in 2010. He has great feet and is extremely athletic for a player with his size and frame. He is skilled enough that he could realistically play tight end on the next level, but has All-Conference and possibly NFL type of potential as an offensive tackle prospect.
5. WR Quinta Funderburk
6-3, 200, Scout.com’s 35th ranked receiver. A big, strong receiver that’s an acrobat in the air adjusting to the ball. Has terrific body control and boxes out smaller defensive backs like he’s going for a rebound. More than just a jump ball specialist though, Funderburk runs crisp routes and is capable of breaking a tackle and running over, around, and by potential tacklers. A tough receiver that will cut inside looking for extra yards instead of hunting for the sidelines.
2011 Entire Recruiting Class
Brandon Allen, Fr., QB, 6-3, 212, Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville HS)
Horace Arkadie, Fr., DE, 6-4, 235, Irving, Texas (Irving HS)
Austin Beck, Fr., OL/DL, 6-7, 307, Nowata, Okla. (Nowata HS)
Brey Cook, Fr., OL, 6-7, 317, Springdale, Ark. (Har-Ber HS)
Marcus Danenhauer, Fr., OL, 6-5, 315, Bentonville, Ark. (Bentonville HS)
Demetrius Dean, Fr., WR/TE, 6-3, 245, Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville HS)
Kelvin Fisher, Jr., Fr., CB, 5-10, 180, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Higley HS)
Trey Flowers, Fr., DE, 6-4, 243, Huntsville, Ala. (Columbia HS)
Quinta Funderburk, Fr., WR, 6-4, 191, Chesapeake, Va. (Oscar Frommel Smith HS)
Rohan Gaines, Fr., S, 5-11, 190, Bainbridge, Ga. (Bainbridge HS)
Tyler Gilbert, Fr., LB, 6-3, 241, Sorrento, La. (John Curtis Christian HS/North Carolina Tech Prep)
Lonnie Gosha, Fr. DE, 6-2, 270, Lake Butler, Fla, (Union County HS)
Brock Haman, Fr., LB, 6-3, 225, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro HS)
Alonzo Highsmith Jr., Jr., LB, 6-1, 220, Missouri City, Texas (Lawrence E. Elkins HS/Phoenix [Ariz.] College)
DeMarcus Hodge, Fr., DT, 6-1, 301, Monroe, La. (Neville HS)
Darrell Kelly-Thomas, Fr., DE, 6-4, 225, Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin HS)
Davyon McKinney, Fr., WR, 6-3, 175, Forrest City, Ark. (Forrest City HS)
Keante Minor, Fr., WR, 6-0, 194, East St. Louis, Ill. (East St. Louis HS)
Tevin Mitchel, Fr., CB, 5-11, 179, Mansfield, Texas (Legacy HS)
Grady Ollison, Fr., DE, 6-5, 272, Malvern, Ark. (Malvern HS)
Jason Peacock, Jr., OL, 6-4, 334, Milledgeville, Ga. (Baldwin HS/Citrus College)
Andrew Peterson, Fr., TE, 6-6, 262, Seagoville, Texas (Seagoville HS)
Kiero Small, Jr., FB, 5-10, 255, Baltimore, Md. (Cardinal Gibbons HS/Valley Forge [Pa.] Military Academy/Hartnell [Calif.] CC)
Mitch Smothers, Fr., OL, 6-4, 296, Springdale, Ark. (Springdale HS)
Jashaud Sims, Fr., S, 6-4, 185, Dickinson, Texas (Dickinson HS)
Robert Thomas, So., DT, 6-1, 340, Muskogee, Okla. (Muskogee HS/Coffeyville [Kan.] CC)
Marquel Wade, Fr., WR, 5-11, 185, Jacksonville, Fla. (Andrew Jackson HS/Milford [N.J.] Academy)
Brett Weir, Fr., SS, 6-5, 217, London, Ontario, Canada (Saint Thomas Aquinas HS)
Kane Whitehurst, Fr., WR, 6-0, 175, Alpharetta, Ga. (Chattahoochee HS)
Kody Walker, Fr., RB, 6-2, 235, Jefferson City, Mo. (Jefferson City HS)
Five Arkansas Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com
1. OT Brey Cook
6-7, 310, Scout.com’s 6th ranked offensive tackle. Prototype offensive tackle size, Cook actually drive blocks like an interior lineman. He has good flexibility and can get his pads low quickly despite his height. Not content with merely occupying his defender, Cook likes to finish his blocks and take his man all the way to the ground. Chops his feet well while engaged to a defender giving him a good base to maintain his block, making him a good pass blocker as well.
2. S Kelvin Fisher
6-0, 180, Scout.com’s 15th ranked safety. Fisher is a versatile athlete that has the ability to play multiple positions in college. Could play RB, S, CB or WR. Is being recruited as an ATH. Very shifty player on offense that has great balance and body control. On D, is a ball hawk at safety and roams the deep middle well. Has very good ball skills and instincts. Is not afraid to stick his nose in and make tackles. Does not have tha greatest size.
3. WR Quinta Funderburk
6-3, 200, Scout.com’s 35th ranked receiver. A big, strong receiver who’s an acrobat in the air adjusting to the ball. Has terrific body control and boxes out smaller defensive backs like he’s going for a rebound. More than just a jump ball specialist though, Funderburk runs crisp routes and is capable of breaking a tackle and running over, around, and by potential tacklers. A tough receiver that will cut inside looking for extra yards instead of hunting for the sidelines
4. OT Andrew Peterson
6-5, 255, Scout.com’s 26th ranked offensive tackle. Peterson became one of the top prospects in the state of Texas after coming in to his own on the field as a senior in 2010. He has great feet and is extremely athletic for a player with his size and frame. He is skilled enough that he could realistically play tight end on the next level, but has All-Conference and possibly NFL type of potential as an offensive tackle prospect.
5. WR Quinta Funderburk
6-3, 200, Scout.com’s 35th ranked receiver. A big, strong receiver that’s an acrobat in the air adjusting to the ball. Has terrific body control and boxes out smaller defensive backs like he’s going for a rebound. More than just a jump ball specialist though, Funderburk runs crisp routes and is capable of breaking a tackle and running over, around, and by potential tacklers. A tough receiver that will cut inside looking for extra yards instead of hunting for the sidelines.
The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Offensive tackle. Last year’s class was the big one for Bobby Petrino, but this one isn’t all that far off. The defensive line got an infusion of talent with JUCO transfer tackle Robert Thomas might be an anchor right away, and the back seven got some help with safety Kelvin Fisher and corner Tevin Mitchel sure to be stars in a few years. The key to the class was the tremendous haul of receivers, including Quinta Funderburk and Keante Minor, and the tackles with seven prospects including Brey Cook, who’s destined to be an all-star, and promising Andrew Peterson and Mitch Smothers.
2011 Entire Recruiting Class
Brandon Allen, Fr., QB, 6-3, 212, Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville HS)
Horace Arkadie, Fr., DE, 6-4, 235, Irving, Texas (Irving HS)
Austin Beck, Fr., OL/DL, 6-7, 307, Nowata, Okla. (Nowata HS)
Brey Cook, Fr., OL, 6-7, 317, Springdale, Ark. (Har-Ber HS)
Marcus Danenhauer, Fr., OL, 6-5, 315, Bentonville, Ark. (Bentonville HS)
Demetrius Dean, Fr., WR/TE, 6-3, 245, Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville HS)
Kelvin Fisher, Jr., Fr., CB, 5-10, 180, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Higley HS)
Trey Flowers, Fr., DE, 6-4, 243, Huntsville, Ala. (Columbia HS)
Quinta Funderburk, Fr., WR, 6-4, 191, Chesapeake, Va. (Oscar Frommel Smith HS)
Rohan Gaines, Fr., S, 5-11, 190, Bainbridge, Ga. (Bainbridge HS)
Tyler Gilbert, Fr., LB, 6-3, 241, Sorrento, La. (John Curtis Christian HS/North Carolina Tech Prep)
Lonnie Gosha, Fr. DE, 6-2, 270, Lake Butler, Fla, (Union County HS)
Brock Haman, Fr., LB, 6-3, 225, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro HS)
Alonzo Highsmith Jr., Jr., LB, 6-1, 220, Missouri City, Texas (Lawrence E. Elkins HS/Phoenix [Ariz.] College)
DeMarcus Hodge, Fr., DT, 6-1, 301, Monroe, La. (Neville HS)
Darrell Kelly-Thomas, Fr., DE, 6-4, 225, Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin HS)
Davyon McKinney, Fr., WR, 6-3, 175, Forrest City, Ark. (Forrest City HS)
Keante Minor, Fr., WR, 6-0, 194, East St. Louis, Ill. (East St. Louis HS)
Tevin Mitchel, Fr., CB, 5-11, 179, Mansfield, Texas (Legacy HS)
Grady Ollison, Fr., DE, 6-5, 272, Malvern, Ark. (Malvern HS)
Jason Peacock, Jr., OL, 6-4, 334, Milledgeville, Ga. (Baldwin HS/Citrus College)
Andrew Peterson, Fr., TE, 6-6, 262, Seagoville, Texas (Seagoville HS)
Kiero Small, Jr., FB, 5-10, 255, Baltimore, Md. (Cardinal Gibbons HS/Valley Forge [Pa.] Military Academy/Hartnell [Calif.] CC)
Mitch Smothers, Fr., OL, 6-4, 296, Springdale, Ark. (Springdale HS)
Jashaud Sims, Fr., S, 6-4, 185, Dickinson, Texas (Dickinson HS)
Robert Thomas, So., DT, 6-1, 340, Muskogee, Okla. (Muskogee HS/Coffeyville [Kan.] CC)
Marquel Wade, Fr., WR, 5-11, 185, Jacksonville, Fla. (Andrew Jackson HS/Milford [N.J.] Academy)
Brett Weir, Fr., SS, 6-5, 217, London, Ontario, Canada (Saint Thomas Aquinas HS)
Kane Whitehurst, Fr., WR, 6-0, 175, Alpharetta, Ga. (Chattahoochee HS)
Kody Walker, Fr., RB, 6-2, 235, Jefferson City, Mo. (Jefferson City HS)
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