Hog Calls : Coleman’s speed catches Petrino’s attention during spring
Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE - Mostly it seems the spring football game gets forgotten as quickly as it's played.
But Bobby Petrino remembered someone out of the spring game he had not mentioned before it.
He remembered Rod Coleman.
Even when citing the lack of blazing speed among the wide receivers he mentioned during the middle of spring drills, Petrino had never mentioned Coleman.
Coleman might be the fastest of all the Razorback receivers on hand. Just not the best one. Otherwise the fourth-year junior from Camden would have been known as a wideout for former coach Houston Nutt instead of the fast guy who would move to scout team quarterback any time the Razorback defense knew it would be beset with an option-scrambler.
Coleman had played quarterback at Fairview High School.
His two Razorback letters he received under Nutt were way more for special teams work than as a receiver mopping up.
Most of the spring he seemed headed for a similar role under Petrino and still could be.
However, Coleman's 76 receiving yards on two touches in the spring game turned Petrino's head a bit. The coach now doesn't just talk about incoming freshmen adding speed at receiver after Coleman both caught a 26-yard pass and took a reverse for 50 yards.
"We got some production from Coleman in the spring game," Petrino said recently. "He showed he can catch the deep ball and he did a nice job running on the reverse. "
Now, of course, two plays don't put Coleman on the map. Just on the radar. Especially with at least five incoming freshman receivers to be evaluated in August, plus any of four others who could be tried at wideouts. Those four, Albert Gary of Citra, Fla. Jerico Nelson of Destrehan, La., Khiry Battle, of Dacular, Ga. and Warren's Basmine Jones, are listed as "athletes."
Running back / receiver / defensive back generally are the mix and match positions that coaches seek to fit on those with both sides of the ball possibilities.
"He was just up and down," Petrino said of Coleman's spring prior to the Red-White game. "He had a few days where he was pretty good and a few days where he dropped off a little bit. He's got to get much more consistent."
Of the returning wideouts, junior London Crawford and third-year sophomore Carlton Salters were deemed the spring's top two and Marques Wade next.
"London Crawford came out of spring," Petrino said," with confidence in himself and the quarterbacks. He's a strong (6-2, 200 ), physical guy that we can utilize when cornerbacks come up and press. That's one of his strengths is beating the corners at the line of scrimmage simply because of his combination of strength and speed. He's catching the deep ball and must continue to work on that. He's got to learn to locate the ball and keep his shoulders going forward. He just needs a lot of reps."
Salters has better hands but isn't as elusive or physical once he catches it.
"He can catch the ball over the middle," Petrino said," and has very good hands. We're going to continue working with him running the ball after the catch and on his speed. He needs to be more of a threat downfield. We've got to utilize him down the field. "More wideouts will be utilized in Petrino's multiple offense. Petrino lists three wideout positions on the depth chart with Wade and Coleman 1-2, Salters and Lucas Miller 1-2, and Crawford and Reggie Fish 1-2. Bobby Petrino and receivers coach Paul Petrino will see what freshmen like Joe Adams of Central Arkansas Christian, Cruz Williams of Pulaski Academy and Warren wideouts Greg Childs, Chris Gragg and Jarius Wright can do plus some of the crew recruited as "athletes. " "I'm not going to single any of them out," Bobby Petrino said. "But we need help at receiver."
• • • Nate Allen's Razorback column appears Mondays in The Daily Record. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
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