Arkansas players in need of fresh start under new coach Chad Morris
The Chad Morris era will begin soon at Arkansas, according to reports, and despite the Razorbacks' struggles that led to coach Bret Bielema’s dismissal, it only takes one look at the roster to see that Bielema left several former elite recruits behind.
The failure of some of those players to live up to the hype is part of the reason Bielema is now gone, but with a new coach on board many will get fresh starts.
We look at five former elite recruits who have a chance to turn their careers around once they’re given a second chance to make a first impression to Morris, the SMU coach reported headed to Fayetteville.
As a recruit: An Arkansas native and an elite tight end prospect, O’Grady saw a natural fit in Fayetteville and the staff did a nice job of landing his commitment following his junior season. O’Grady never really looked at other options despite offers from Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and others.
What he’s done: O’Grady was expected to be the second coming of Hunter Henry, but through three seasons that has been anything but the case. After redshirting in 2015, O’Grady caught three passes in 2016 and managed only 21 catches for 132 yards in 2017. O’Grady has been a nice contributor and still has two years of eligibility left, but so far he’s struggled to live up to his high school hype.
Why Morris will help: Morris was a big part of the reason Clemson took over the mantel was “wide receiver university” over the past decade but it’s worth noting that he has also recruited some pretty decent tight ends. In his first year at Clemson, Morris coached John Mackey (nation’s best tight end) award winner and eventual NFL Draft pick Dwayne Allen and recruited and coached Jordan Leggett, a key player on Clemson’s National Championship Team in 2016. O’Grady showed signs of progress and with more targets likely coming his way and less blocking responsibilities, Morris could give him a second chance at living up to his high school hype.
As a recruit: Once a student at the much-maligned Prime Prep Academy in Dallas, Martin signed with LSU out of high school but failed to qualify and attended junior college at Mississippi Gulf Coast. He redshirted his first season there, then came on strong this fall and was re-ranked as one of the top overall junior college prospects in the country. Despite efforts from LSU and Auburn, Martin made a late decision to commit to Arkansas.
What he’s done: A much-ballyhooed addition to the Hawgs' class in 2017, Martin was expected to step in right away and be a huge playmaker. He did see the field in his first year on campus but didn’t have quite the impact most expected, finishing with nine catches for 119 yards.
Why Morris will help: From his time in high school Martin’s career has been star-crossed and finally he’s getting a major break in the form of Morris. He’s the man who helped players like DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins develop into stars and also help resurrect the career of one-time elite recruit Trey Quinn at SMU. If there’s anybody who should be thrilled about the addition of Morris in the Razorbacks' locker room, it’s Martin.
As a recruit: A multi-sport athlete and a Tennessee legacy, most expected Hayden to stay in-state and follow his father’s footsteps to Knoxville. But after the Vols pitched Hayden on playing wide receiver he turned his attention to more serious contenders and jumped on the chance to commit to the Hawgs in the summer prior to his senior season.
What he’s done: Hayden was one of the most exciting freshmen on Arkansas' roster in 2017 and he was having a great season before he suffered a season-ending injury. He finished the year with 326 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Why Morris will help: Some people wondered why Hayden zeroed in on Arkansas during his recruitment because the Hawgs' offensive style didn’t seem to fit the smaller, shiftier back. After wowing in his first year when healthy, Hayden quickly put those concerns to rest. Now with the arrival of Morris he will have every opportunity to showcase his skills as both a runner and a pass catcher. Look for Morris to be creative in getting the ball into Hayden’s hands and expect him to be terrorizing SEC defenses for the next few years.
As a recruit: Storey collected a handful of impressive offers but didn’t stay on the market long, committed to in-state Arkansas during the summer prior to his junior year of high school.
What he’s done: Storey hasn’t had much of an impact during his time in Fayetteville. He redshirted in his first year on campus and appeared as a backup in 2016 and 2017, completing just one pass for four yards over those two seasons.
Why Morris will help: Storey had slipped down the depth chart under the last staff and didn’t even get a chance to show what he could do when starter Austin Allen went down with an injury. But Morris showed at SMU that he’s more than willing to open the quarterback competition to all comers and Storey will have a fair shot at earning playing time in Morris’ pass-happy system. If he can show the ability to make quick decisions and limit mistakes he could endear himself to his new coach and turn his career around.
As a recruit: The first Rivals100 prospect signed under Bielema, Wallace took official visits to Alabama, Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas before announcing for the Hawgs at the 2014 U.S. Army Bowl.
What he’s done: Wallace redshirted his first season on campus and played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2015. The light seemed to come on for Wallace in 2016 as he played in 12 games and started the final 10 at right tackle. But that year didn’t carry over into 2017 as Wallace started the year on the bench after falling out of favor during fall camp. He eventually moved back into the lineup in October but has been inconsistent during his time in Fayetteville.
Why Morris will help: Wallace’s year in 2016 shows that he’s capable of not only being a contributor, but a starter in the SEC. It’s clear that he didn’t see eye-to-eye with the previous staff and that may have had as much to do with him as it did them. Either way, all of those issues are in the past and he will have a chance to save his career and NFL future in 2018. Morris’ offense will ask much different things from Wallace but if he can adapt and be up to the challenge he could find himself back in the starting lineup for good.
