RB Curtis ready to prove he belongs in Hogs’ lineup
Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE - Changing times make freshmen more ready to play right a way.
That's good news for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Razorbacks graduated a host of 2007 seniors plus former All-American running backs Darren Mc-Fadden and Felix Jones, who declared for the NFL Draft following their junior seasons.
The departures left first-year head coach Bobby Petrino with more holes than a moth-eaten sweater.
So head coach Petrino, offensive coordinator / receivers coach Paul Petrino and defensive coordinator Willy Robinson eye freshmen very much in Razorback present rather than just Hog futures.
"We've got a lot of freshmen," Paul Petrino said," that will probably end up helping us this year."
Could one start, Bobby Petrino was asked ?
"Maybe more than one," the head coach replied. "You look at our receiving corps no doubt we'll have a lot of competition. At running back, Michael Smith (a junior 2-year letterman ) is doing really well but he's going to have a lot of competition from De'Anthony Curtis and Dennis Johnson. It's going to be fun to watch."
Curtis and Johnson are true freshmen from Camden Fairview and Texarkana, Ark., respectively.
Receiver, particularly with Marques Wade, a first-teamer at the close of spring drills but now suspended the season's first two games, beckons for bodies.
The program shifts gears from former head coach Houston Nutt's runoriented offense to the Petrino penchant for a wide-open, spread'em out passing game balanced by the run.
Asked about Wade's absence, Paul Petrino wasted no time mentioning incoming freshmen wideouts Joe Adams (Little Rock / Central Christian ) and the Warren trio of Greg Childs, Chris Gragg and Jarius Wright.
"Some freshmen will fight for that position," Paul Petrino said," and (senior Reggie ) Fish. I'm excited about the four freshmen we brought in."
Paul Petrino explained the different attributes built into Adams (6-0, 175 ), Childs (6-4, 205 ), Gragg (6-3, 210 ) and Wright (5-10, 175 ) and how those attributes in receivers past boded well for the Petrinos at Louisville.
"Joe Adams and Jarius Wright," Paul Petrino said," are two who can play outside and really have good quickness and change of direction and are playmakers. And that's something that we have been missing.
"And Childs and Chris Gragg inside are big kids. Those four remind you how our receiving group ended up being at Louisville. Two real fast guys and two big physical guys."
Certainly on defense, true freshmen Jelani Smith (Abbeville, La. ) and Tenarius Wright (Memphis (Tenn. ) Whitehaven ) must be looked at with the numbers down from the permanent dismissal of 2007 starter Freddie Fairchild and the 2-game suspension of sophomore linebacker Freddy Burton.
All are considered talented but certainly many talented freshmen have come before them yet not ready to play right a way in their first year.
What might help is the transformation over time from football first being declared varsity eligible in 1972 but mostly spoon fed and staying home most of their summer before reporting, to the NCAA allowing all athletes to be on scholarship while taking summer school hours.
It's turned football into a year-round campus activity with freshmen encouraged to begin summer classes and partake of the "voluntary "summer conditioning drills.
"It's not as hard as it used to be," Bobby Petrino said," because they have been here all summer. The anxiety is gone. The butterflies are gone and they have been around the players and understand'I can lift weights like he does and I can run as fast as the guy penciled in at No. 1. ' It used to be when they first came in they were looking around saying, ' Wow ! What have I got myself into ?' But I think that's already gone. I think they'll jump right in. "Of course conditioning drills are one thing and learning how to do the real thing is another. So with Monday afternoon's start of preseason drills, Bobby Petrino said the newcomers will work 30 minutes by themselves then be joined by the upperclassmen as "practice starts over. "The freshmen will get those exclusive 30 minutes the first few practices, Bobby Petrino said.
(Nate Allen covers the Arkansas Razorbacks football team for the Northwest Arkansas Times. )
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