May 25, 2013

Drawing Some Attention

July 31, 2012 by

Over the last couple of seasons, one of the things that has really made the Razorback offense click is having good balance.

Javontee Herndon / Ethan Davis (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) A trio of wide receivers — Jarius Wright, Greg Childs and Joe Adams — coupled with running backs Knile Davis and Dennis Johnson have made it impossible for teams to key on just pass or just run.

But with the ‘big three’ graduated to the NFL, can that balance of power continue?

With Knile back, one of our remaining concerns going into fall camp is finding someone who can draw enough attention away from Cobi Hamilton so that teams have to continue to equally respect both.

Minus that second or third receiving option, we can envision how other teams will try to defend the Hogs — stacking the box to stop Knile, employing press coverage against Cobi while rolling a safety up over the top.  That might be some tough sledding there.

Tight end Chris Gragg (41 Rec, 518 RecYds, 2 TDs in 2011) is poised for a monster year — we know that.  But with Marquel Wade ‘moving on,’ the Razorbacks need to know which receiver(s) are going to emerge as a legitimate threat.

Julian Horton (9 Rec, 85 RecYds) and Javontee Herndon (8 Rec, 137 RecYds) have proven to be good, quality possession receivers.  Neither has shown to be game breakers yet.

The two best candidates to take the heat off Cobi look to be sophomore Keonte Minor (6-0, 205) and junior college transfer Demetrius Wilson (6-3, 185).  Minor impressed us in the spring, while Wilson has the size, speed and hands the coaches covet.

“Demetrius Wilson has just got here and runs as well as we anticipated and according to the quarterbacks catches the ball very well,” receivers coach Kris Cinkovich said. “We are counting on him a ton.”

In the early going, keep an eye on both of these players and how they progress.  Their emergence could make a world of difference between a very good offense and a great one.

‘Wilson to Wilson’ — that sounds pretty good doesn’t it?

Filed Under: Arkansas Razorbacks, Football Tagged With: , , , ,
  • Hawgfan100

    “Wilson to Wilson…Touchdown Arkansas!!!” sounds better.

  • http://therazorbackblogger.com/ GonzoHog

    Cobi has a chance to be the best WR Arkansas has ever had. He has the size of Greg Childs and the speed of Joe Adams and Jarius Wright and has better hands than any of those guys..
    He has an accurate Sr. QB, who’s a Hiesman contender, throwing him the ball in what should be a more balanced offense with a Hiesman contender RB in Knile Davis.
    He also has one of the best pass catching TEs in the country to help him offset SEC defenses.

    If Tyler, Knile, Chris and Cobi can all stay healthy, it’s going to be interesting to say the least.

  • http://therazorbackblogger.com/ GonzoHog

    I’m really interested in checking out this Wilson kid. I’ve heard a lot of good things about him.

  • http://razorbloggers.net NewYorkHogFan

    If we don’t develop another receiver, then the defense will double team Cobi. One or two of these young bucks need to rise to the occasion, or it will be more difficult to move the ball. It’s ashamed about Wade. I think he would have been great.

  • Andrew

    My hope? Somebody develops, but doesn’t show it until Alabama. So when they’re double teaming Hamilton and gragg, our young buck will shred ‘em up and down the field. I sure live living in dreamland…

    • http://therazorbackblogger.com/ GonzoHog

      I honestly don’t understand all the fuss over developing another WR. Are Horton and Herndon not good players?
      If defenses are actually dumb enough to double team both Cobi and Chris at the same time, then either one of those guys, right along with Keante Minor are gonna have some field days catching passes from Tyler Wilson. That’s not even counting the 3, very good, pass catching, Sr. RBs we have on the depth chart.

      • Andrew

        Herndon and Horton are not what we’re used to. Not to say they’re not good players, but they’re not yet jarius or joe, and if they can’t create separation, they won’t ever be. Let’s face it, their catches have come against the uteps, ole misses and msu’s of the world, not bama. Those guys need more development to play advantageously in this league week in and week out. Now I’m only talking about developing receivers if all of our receivers are playing receiver. If we put Mitchell or wingo or dj or any combination there if out there, we may be a-ok, I dunno, but to have a Herndon or a Horton or a minor go out and start against bama and expect them to be able to contribute 5+ catches each is, in my mind, a bit of a stretch.

        • http://therazorbackblogger.com/ GonzoHog

          You’re only forgetting one thing,…you have to start before you’re in a position or have the opportunity to recieve 5+ catches. ;) Well be fine.

          • Andrew

            Well I sure hope I have reasOn to be as optimistic as you once the season rolls around.

  • soupdhog

    I’m not worried about developing another reciever. If Cobi is double teamed, as Gonzo mentioned you’ve got some creative RB pistol/shotgun sets available with any combination of Davis, Wingo, and DJ – all very good pass catchers. There is no way a linebacker can cover any of those guys out of the backfield. Then you have Cragg to worry about. Plus, if we get a run game going with Davis, the safetys will have to play for the run so there is no one to double team. Imagine the play action pass possibilities? I’m starting to drool.

    There are so many offensive weapons on this team it’s crazy. And Herndon, Horton, and Minor may not be stars (yet), but they can surely catch the ball.

    As we all are, I’m concerned about the defense. But I feel so much better with Willy gone and seeing what we did against K-State in the Cotton Bowl. If we can improve defense by 7 points, it’s gonna be a special year.

  • soupdhog

    Does anyone think Petrino will use DJ, Wingo or Davis in the slot? With anyone of those guys in the backfield it seems like putting one of the others in the slot on some sets is a very good idea.

    • http://therazorbackblogger.com/ GonzoHog

      I think DJ would be the best pick of all those in the slot. He’s a better pass catcher out of the backfield than Davis and he has a better combination of power and balance after the catch with his ability to get down low and stay on his feet. He would also be fresher than Davis since he won’t start.

      I’d also consider playing both DJ and Wingo on 3rd and long. Both of those guys have very good hands and would be a good option for TW to dump off to if facing a strong pass rush IMHO.

  • Jeff Edgmon

    Arkansas needs to quit focusing so much on the fact that they’ve never beat BAMA, no Petrino team anywhere has ever beaten a BAMA team, and this is still a Petrino team, he’s just not on the sideline.
    Arkansas needs to focus on defense, running the ball, and getting some depth at receiver. I do think if Gragg and Hamilton stay healthy, they’re potentially as good or better than they’ve had. And if Kniles Davis stays healthy, Arkansas can play with anyone, including Alabama and LSU. If they don’t take care of their bodies again, they will not only jeopardize their pro careers, but Arkansas will not be competitive in the west either. Arkansas has an NFL quality placekicker, running back, receiver, and quarterback, and linebacker. Now they need to stay healthy, and they will be fine. They need to focus on themselves and getting better, and stop letting the national media drag them into a huge Alabama vs Arkansas showdown debate. If Arkansas is healthy, they can compete with anyone, and that includes Alabama.