Grading Bielema's top recruits at Arkansas

Arkansas fired coach Bret Bielema on Friday, ending a five-season tenure that saw its share of ups and downs. While he couldn’t have the type of sustained success on the recruiting trail or on the field to compete in the SEC West, Bielema did have his share of recruiting wins. Today we take a look at the highest-ranked player from each of his recruiting classes and see how they panned out.

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As a recruit: Henry did a little bit of everything as a high school player, working on both the offensive and defensive lines while also playing wide receiver. His versatility led to a number of options on the recruiting trail and his recruitment came down to a battle between Arkansas and Alabama. Henry committed to the Hawgs in July of 2012, five months before Bielema was hired, but the coach did a nice job of holding off a late charge from the Tide to keep Henry close to home.

As a Razorback: Henry was a perfect fit in Bielema’s offense and made a name for himself both as a blocker and a receiver from the early going. He had at least 400 yards receiving in each of his three seasons and was named to the All-SEC team three times and was a consensus All-American in 2015. After three successful years he left early for the NFL Draft, where he was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round in 2016.

The verdict: A

Farrell’s take: I was a big fan of Henry coming out of high school as we nearly pushed him into the Rivals100 and he played even better than that. He was not only a solid blocker and move-the-chains guy but he stretched the field and was a dangerous weapon in the Arkansas offense.

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 Army All-American game. The nationally televised announcement was a huge recruiting win for Bielema and his staff.

As a Razorback: 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 with his lofty ranking and Bielema’s history of developing offensive linemen, Wallace’s lack of improvement and consistent playing time in his fourth year on campus was concerning.

The verdict: C-

Farrell’s take: One good year doesn’t make for a good grade but that one year keeps him from a D or an F. This may seem harsh, but much more was expected from Wallace, especially in a Bielema offense.

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.

As a Razorback: O’Grady was expected to be the second coming of 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.

The verdict: D

Farrell’s take: Maybe the Hunter Henry shadow was too much for him and he still does have time to emerge, but he’s been a big disappointment. Jeremy Sprinkle got a lot of attention and even his numbers were disappointing, but O’Grady really needs to pick things up to get a favorable grade.

As a recruit: An elite in-state prospect in the Class of 2016, Agim had offers from programs from all over the country. But Bielema and his staff did a nice job of catching his attention early in the process and landed a commitment from Agim during the start of his senior season in 2015. Agim was the highest ranked prospect Bielema signed during his time in Fayetteville.

As a Razorback: Agim stepped foot on campus and immediately made an impact, starting five games as a true freshman in 2016 and recording 27 total tackles. Agim became a full-time starter in 2017, recording 34 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss. Regardless of who the next coach is at the school, Agim should be a centerpiece of the team’s defense.

The verdict: B+

Farrell’s take: So far so good for Agim, a kid I really liked a lot coming out of high school because he moved like an end but could play inside as well. His versatility and athletic ability make me think his best days are ahead of him and he’s been pretty impressive so far.

As a recruit: An elite prospect from the state of Texas, Calloway had his share of options on the recruiting trail. He made an initial commitment to Iowa, before backing off and then taking official visits to Texas, Nebraska, Mississippi and Arkansas. The Hawgs landed his commitment just prior to Signing Day earlier this year. Beating out Texas for a Lone Star State product was a huge recruiting victory for Bielema.

As a Razorback: Calloway appeared in 11 games as a true freshman in 2017, mostly as a reserve/special teams player. He finished the year with five total tackles and will likely have a chance to compete for playing time as a sophomore in 2018.

The verdict: B

Farrell’s take: It’s too early to give a true grade, so I’ll go neutral here with a solid B. He’s playing as a true freshman, shows signs of the potential we saw in him as a Rivals100 prospect and I think he’ll be a good one down the line.