Home of the Hogs boasts junior talent
Fayetteville (Ark.) High coach Darryl Patton has several underclassmen who already are drawing the attention of college programs.
Offensive lineman Johnny Borkins is a 6-foot-4, 264-pound junior who has been starting at right guard all season for Patton and company, tallying 23 pancake blocks through eight games.
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Borkins has great feet and quickness, according to his coach, and will continue to flourish if he dedicates himself to an offseason workout program.
The first two years of his high school career were spent at Pine Bluff High, where he had no strength training, so Patton believes that continued work in the strength program at Fayetteville will help.
"He hasn't been in the weight room," Patton said.
Prior to this season, Borkins was able to drop his 40-yard dash time to 4.92 seconds by running up hills with logs tied to his legs. He also attended a speed training camp at nearby Springdale High.
Class of 2007 wide receiver Cameron Walker has been getting attention from programs throughout the Southeast. Walker (6 feet, 205 pounds) suffered a torn ACL as a sophomore, but has come back this year.
He has been timed as low as 4.59 seconds in the 40, but Patton believes that by next year, he could run as low as 4.5.
Walker is the nephew of former Arkansas and NBA basketball standout Darryl Walker.
Tight end Ben Ball was described by Patton as "the best blocker he's ever coached." The 6-foot-4, 232-pounder has 29 pancake blocks in eight games.
His receiving stats (four catches for 24 yards through eight games) are not eye-popping, in part because Fayetteville mixes in a lot of spread formations without the tight end and doesn't throw to the tight end often.
Patton, however, says that Ball has great hands.
Junior Jake Arnold is the grandson of Arkansas athletics director and legendary football coach Frank Broyles. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound defensive back typically draws the opponents' second best wide receiver and was timed at 4.43 seconds in the 40 at the Razorback Camp.
"(Arnold) has great speed and coverage ability," Patton said. "He should get some looks from colleges, but I don't know that he goes anywhere else but Arkansas."
Arnold has 29 tackles, eight pass break-ups and an interception this season.
Option quarterback/athlete Dallas McCutcheon has 890 yards passing and nine touchdowns and 385 yards rushing and seven touchdowns while splitting time with Houston Nutt III, the son of the Arkansas head coach.
McCutcheon has been timed as low as 4.54 in the 40 and would be a good fit at Rice, Air Force or another school that runs an option-style attack.
"He's got a great arm," Patton said. "But he's cat-quick."